Image forming apparatus

Abstract

The door position can be easily adjusted. [Solution] The device includes a door 100 positioned in front of the image forming section in a front-to-back direction intersecting the vertical direction and attached to the main frame so as to form the front exterior, and a hinge 140 connecting the door 100 and the main frame 200 so that the door 100 rotates to open and close relative to the main frame 200. The door 100 and the hinge 140 are each provided with adjustment holes 166 and 167, respectively, and the adjustment hole 167 of the door 100 and the adjustment hole 166 of the hinge 140 are positioned to overlap at least partially.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine, a copying machine, a printer, etc. that performs image formation.

Background Art

[0002] In the industrial printing industry, it is desired that an operator can visually check the operating state of an image forming apparatus. There are image forming apparatuses in which the state of an ink ejection head scanning can be seen in a large-format inkjet printer. Also, label printers with image forming apparatuses that allow the operating state to be visible have been put on the market.

[0003] In general, the height of the main body of these image forming apparatuses is lower than a person's height. As a configuration that allows the operating state to be visually checked in these image forming apparatuses, there is a configuration in which a recording unit of the image forming apparatus is not covered with an exterior cover. Alternatively, there is a configuration in which an exterior cover is provided on the front surface of the image forming apparatus and a transparent window is arranged in part. Also, some have lighting provided inside the image forming apparatus to improve visibility (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the door is required to have functions such as not only a transparent window, but also an engaging portion (latch) that maintains the closed state of the door, a detection portion that detects the closed state, and a sealing portion that isolates the inside and outside of the apparatus. Therefore, the door requires high-precision position adjustment with respect to the inside of the apparatus. In particular, the door of a large-sized image forming apparatus is often composed of parts made of metal such as sheet metal and is heavy. Therefore, when performing position adjustment during assembly, installation, or service maintenance at a factory, it is necessary to have multiple people work together, which has a problem of poor workability.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can easily perform door position adjustment work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A typical configuration of the present invention comprises an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, a main frame supporting the image forming unit, a door positioned in front of the image forming unit in a front-to-back direction intersecting the vertical direction and attached to the main frame to form the front exterior, and a hinge connecting the door and the main frame so that the door rotates to open and close relative to the main frame, wherein the door and the hinge are each provided with adjustment holes, and the adjustment holes of the door and the hinge are arranged to overlap at least partially. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the door position adjustment work can be easily performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] schematic cross-section of a printed module [Figure 3] A schematic diagram showing the printed circuit board with the front door open, viewed from the front. [Figure 4] Perspective view of the printed belt unit [Figure 5] Perspective view of the recording head as seen from the ink ejection surface direction. [Figure 6] Perspective view showing the retracted position of the recording head. [Figure 7] Perspective view showing the printing position of the recording head. [Figure 8] (a)(b) Diagram illustrating the movement of the recording head to the print position. [Figure 9] (a)(b) Diagram illustrating the movement of the recording head to the print position. [Figure 10] Figure for explaining the movement of the recording head to the printing position (a)(b) [Figure 11] Perspective view showing the state before attaching the recording head to the head holder [Figure 12] Perspective view showing the movement operation of the scanner unit (a)(b) [Figure 13] Perspective view showing the movement operation of the scanner unit (a)(b) [Figure 14] Schematic perspective view showing the state where the recording unit and the maintenance unit are mounted on the main body frame of the print module [Figure 15] Schematic view of the main body frame of the print module seen from directly above [Figure 16] Left cross-sectional view of the print module [Figure 17] Cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in FIG. 16 of the print module [Figure 18] Overall schematic view of the front door of the print module (a)(b) [Figure 19] Exploded view of the components of the front upper door of the print module [Figure 20] Figure showing the front door of the print module opened upward (a)(b) [Figure 21] Figure for explaining the suspension string of the front door opened upward [Figure 22] Perspective view showing the upper hinge [Figure 23] Perspective view showing the front door and the upper hinge [Figure 24] Perspective view showing the main body frame and the upper hinge [Figure 25] Perspective view showing the upper hinge [Figure 26] Figure showing the upper hinge (a)(b) [Figure 27] Perspective view showing the upper hinge [Figure 28] Exploded perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism of the front door [Figure 29] Perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism of the front door (a)(b)(c) [Figure 30] Cross-sectional view of the position adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. 29 (a)(b)(c) [Figure 31] (a)(b)(c) Front view of the hinge shown in Figure 29 [Figure 32] Exploded perspective view of the front door position adjustment mechanism in another embodiment. [Figure 33] (a)(b)(c) Perspective view of the front door position adjustment mechanism of another embodiment [Figure 34] (a)(b)(c) Cross-sectional view of the position adjustment mechanism shown in Figure 33 [Figure 35] (a)(b)(c) Front view of the hinge shown in Figure 33 [Figure 36] Exploded perspective view of the front door position adjustment mechanism in another embodiment. [Figure 37] Perspective view of the front door position adjustment mechanism in another embodiment. [Figure 38] Front view of the position adjustment mechanism in another embodiment. [Figure 39] Cross-sectional view of the position adjustment mechanism shown in Figure 38. [Figure 40] Figure 38 shows the component forces applied to the position adjustment mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, and relative positions of the components of the image forming apparatus shown below do not limit the scope of the present invention unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, components denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings have the same configuration or function, and redundant explanations of these components will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] <Image forming apparatus> The schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus shown in Figure 1 is an example of an inkjet image forming apparatus that performs image formation using an inkjet method.

[0012] The image forming apparatus processes paper (recording medium) fed from the paper feed module 1000 in the following order: print module 2000, drying module 3000, fixing module 4000, cooling module 5000, inversion module 6000, and output / stack module 7000. The paper fed from the paper feed module 1000 has an image formed on it in the print module 2000. The drying module 3000 is a unit that reduces the liquid content in the ink to improve the adhesion between the paper and the ink, and the fixing module 4000 heats the paper to soften the applied ink. The cooling module 5000 cools the fixed paper to solidify the softened ink and suppresses temperature changes of the paper downstream of the cooling module. The inversion module 6000 aligns the orientation of the paper to the desired orientation. The output / stack module 7000 aligns and stacks the printed paper.

[0013] During double-sided printing, the paper is transported in a U-turn towards the print module by the cooling module 5000, and the front and back sides and front-to-back direction of the paper are reversed by the reversal device 4200 located in the fuser module 4000. After that, the paper is transported back to the print module 2000 via the double-sided transport path of the drying module 3000 and the paper feed module 1000 to perform printing on the back side.

[0014] Thus, the image forming apparatus includes a print module 2000 as a first module, which includes a recording unit 2300 and a print belt unit 2200. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus includes a second module (1000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000) adjacent to either the left or right side of the print module 2000, or both sides, and which has different functions from the print module 2000. In this embodiment, the left-right direction is the direction in which the sheet is transported when image forming is performed. The sheet transport direction is sometimes called the first direction. That is, in this embodiment, the first direction is the left-right direction. Also, in this embodiment, the right side in the left-right direction corresponds to the upstream direction of transport, and the left side in the left-right direction corresponds to the downstream direction of transport.

[0015] Here, an example is given in which the image forming apparatus has modules with different functions connected to both sides of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction, but it is not limited to this configuration. The image forming apparatus may also have a configuration in which modules with different functions are connected to the left side of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction. Alternatively, the image forming apparatus may have a configuration in which modules with different functions are connected to the right side of the print module 2000 in the left-right direction.

[0016] <Print Module> The configuration of the print module 2000 will be explained using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the print module 2000.

[0017] The print module 2000 is an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet of paper (recording medium) being transported by a recording head 10 from above. The print module 2000 includes a pre-image registration correction unit 2400, a print belt unit 2200 as a transport unit, a recording unit 2300, a maintenance unit 2600, and a scanner unit 11. The paper is transported by suction using the print belt unit 2200, ensuring clearance with the recording head.

[0018] Paper transported from the paper feed module 1000 is corrected for tilt and position by the pre-image registration correction unit 2400 and then transported to the print belt unit 2200. The recording unit 2300 is positioned opposite the print belt unit 2200 in the transport path. The recording unit 2300 performs recording (printing) on ​​the transported sheet of paper from above using the recording head 10 to form an image on the paper. In the recording unit 2300, the print belt unit 2200 is positioned to transport the paper by suction and adsorption to ensure stable paper transport behavior directly below the recording head 10. In the print belt unit 2200, the paper being transported on the paper transport surface 24, which is the sheet transport surface, is transported with a clearance ensured between it and the recording head 10. The recording head 10 ejects ink at the appropriate timing to form an image on the transported paper. Multiple recording heads 10 are arranged along the transport direction. In this example, in addition to the four colors Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and Bk (black), there are a total of five line-type recording heads corresponding to the reaction solution.

[0019] A scanner unit 11 is installed downstream of the recording head 10 in the transport direction. The scanner unit 11 inspects the image immediately after ink application by reading the paper and image on the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200. When it detects image defects such as ink failure due to blocked ink ejection holes, it immediately stops the device to minimize the generation of defective output. The scanner unit 11 is a unit (reading unit) that not only detects the ink ejection state but also reads the image formed on the paper by the recording unit during printing, detects image misalignment and density, and corrects the print.

[0020] The maintenance unit 2600 is located to the right of the recording unit 2300. The recording head 10 of the recording unit 2300 can be raised and lowered, and may be moved to a retracted position vertically upward as needed (see Figure 6). The maintenance unit 2600 moves directly below the recording head 10 in the retracted position to perform maintenance on the recording unit 2300 (recording head 10).

[0021] The maintenance unit 2600 has a cap tray 18 on which a cap mechanism (not shown) protecting the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is located. The maintenance unit 2600 also has a cleaning tray 19 on which a cleaning mechanism (not shown) restoring the ejection performance of the recording head 10 is located. The maintenance unit 2600 is a two-layer unit with the cap tray 18 on the upper level and the cleaning tray 19 on the lower level. The ink ejection surface refers to the nozzle surface of the recording head 10 where multiple ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged.

[0022] When the machine is not in operation, the cap tray 18 is directly below the recording unit 2300, and the recording head 10 lands on the cap mechanism (not shown) inside the cap tray and caps, preventing the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 from drying out. Upon receiving a print start command from a controller (not shown), the recording head 10 first rises to the retracted position and moves away from the cap tray 18, then the cap tray 18 moves to the retracted position, and then the recording head 10 descends to the print position and performs the printing operation. Upon receiving a print end command, the recording head 10 rises to the retracted position. After that, when the cap tray 18 moves from the retracted position to directly below the recording unit 2300, the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cap tray and caps, and then stops.

[0023] Even during printing, a cleaning command is issued from a controller (not shown) when a predetermined continuous operating time is reached. Upon receiving the cleaning command, the recording head 10 rises to the retracted position, and then the cleaning tray 19 on the lower part of the maintenance unit 2600 moves directly below the recording unit 2300. Subsequently, the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cleaning tray 19, where cleaning operations such as wiping and vacuuming are performed. After cleaning is complete, the recording head 10 rises to the retracted position, the cleaning tray 19 moves from directly below the recording unit 2300 to the retracted position, and then the recording head 10 descends to the printing position to resume printing. If printing is not resumed after cleaning is complete, the recording head 10 rises to the retracted position, the cleaning tray 19 moves from directly below the recording unit 2300 to the retracted position, and the cap tray 18 moves from the retracted position to directly below the recording unit 2300. Then the recording head 10 descends and lands on the cap tray 18, performs capping, and then stops. Print head cleaning during printing may be performed after all the paper circulating in the machine has been processed and the supply of new paper has been stopped. Alternatively, print head cleaning may be performed while there is still paper circulating.

[0024] Furthermore, the number of colors and recording heads in an image forming apparatus are not limited to five. In addition, inkjet methods can employ methods using heating elements, piezoelectric elements, electrostatic elements, MEMS elements, etc.

[0025] <Configuration of the recording section> Next, the configuration of the recording unit 2300 and the print belt unit 2200 in this embodiment will be explained using Figures 3 to 11. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the print module 2000 viewed from the front with the front door (exterior cover) covering the recording unit 2300 open. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the print belt unit 2200. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the recording head 10 viewed from the ink ejection surface direction. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the recording head 10 in the retracted position, and Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the recording head 10 in the printing position. Figures 8 to 10 are diagrams illustrating the movement of the recording head 10 to the printing position. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the state before the recording head is attached to the head holder.

[0026] The following definitions of the upward direction U, downward direction D, rightward direction R, leftward direction L, rearward direction B, and forward direction F used in the explanation below are as shown in Figure 3. The side of the main frame 200 (print module 2000) shown in Figure 3 where the front door 100, which serves as the outer cover, is located is defined as the front side (front or front), and the opposite side is defined as the rear side (back or rear). Furthermore, when the recording unit 2300 is used as the reference, the side where the scanner unit 11 (see Figure 2) is located is defined as the left side. When the recording unit 2300 is used as the reference, the side where the maintenance unit 2600 is located is defined as the right side. Additionally, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions defined here, and vertically upward, is defined as the upward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions defined here, and vertically downward, is defined as the downward direction. The defined forward direction F, rearward direction B, rightward direction R, leftward direction L, upward direction U, and downward direction D are shown in Figure 3. The left-right direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction (up and down direction) and is the same as the transport direction for transporting the paper as a sheet. The front-back direction is perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the left-right direction (first direction).

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the print belt unit 2200 includes a print belt 2201, belt rollers 2202, a suction unit 2203, a cleaning unit 2210, and the like. The print belt 2201 is the contact surface that comes into contact with the paper when transporting the paper, and is provided with multiple suction holes 2201a in the left-right and front-back directions. Each of the suction holes 2201a is a through-hole that penetrates the print belt 2201 in the thickness direction, and is provided distributed on the inside and outside of the area through which the paper passes when transporting the paper. The belt rollers 2202 maintain a constant tension in the print belt 2201. The suction unit 2203 picks up the paper through the suction holes 2201a. The cleaning unit 2210 comes into contact with the print belt 2201 and wipes away mist and paper dust adhering to the surface of the print belt 2201. In this embodiment, there are four suction units 2203 arranged in the print belt unit 2200, but the number of suction units 2203 is not limited to four.

[0028] The print belt unit 2200 is positioned directly below the recording head 10. That is, the print belt unit 2200 is positioned opposite the recording unit 2300 in the vertical direction. The print belt unit 2200 has a height adjustment function that adjusts the height of the paper transport surface (sheet transport surface) so that the paper surface has a predetermined clearance with the recording head 10 according to the paper thickness. As mentioned above, the print belt unit 2200 has a suction transport function that transports the paper while maintaining a flat surface by following the transport belt surface.

[0029] The housing 81 of the print belt unit 2200 is provided with positioning members 811 for positioning the recording head 10 at the printing position (recording position). Specifically, for each recording head 10, one positioning member 811a is provided on the front side (front of the device) in the front-to-back direction (paper width direction) with the print belt 2201 in between, and two positioning members 811b and 811c are provided on the back side (rear of the device).

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the recording head 10 has a nozzle plate 223 equipped with multiple nozzles for ejecting ink, which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the recording head (paper width direction, front-to-back direction), and contact portions 221 are provided at both ends of the recording head 10. Specifically, the front side of the recording head 10 in the longitudinal direction is provided with a first contact portion 221a, which is a recess with a conical slope, and the back side in the longitudinal direction is provided with a second contact portion 221b, which is a groove with two V-shaped planes, and a third contact portion 221c, which is a plane. Here, a guide shape 221d is provided near the third contact portion 221c, which is a plane. The guide shape 221d plays a role in resolving the problem that when the third contact portion 221c and the recording head positioning member 811c come into contact, the recording head (ink ejection head) 10 slips and misaligns, preventing the ball from entering the positioning portion and thus making positioning impossible.

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view showing the recording head 10 in a retracted position, retracted upward relative to the print belt unit 2200. Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the recording head 10 in a printing position (recording position) for printing an image onto paper. The recording head 10 is detachably mounted to the head holder 26. The recording head 10 automatically moves up and down in conjunction with the head holder 26, by a drive mechanism (not shown), between a printing position close to the paper transport surface 24 and a retracted position when not printing, along a lifting rail 29 provided within the recording head lifting frame 28.

[0032] Figures 8, 9, and 10 illustrate how the recording head 10 moves from the retracted position to the printing position and engages with the positioning member 811. In Figures 8 to 10, Figure (a) is a view of the recording head 10 from the rear in the front-to-back direction. Figure (b) is a view of the recording head 10 from the front in the front-to-back direction. The recording head 10 in the retracted position (Figures 8(a) and 8(b)) descends integrally with the head holder 26 and lands on the positioning members 811a to 811c of the print belt unit 2200 (Figures 9(a) and 9(b)). Subsequently, the head holder 26 descends further, and the weight of the recording head 10 is applied to the positioning members 811a to 811c, causing the spherical shape of the positioning members 811a to 811c and the conical concave shape of the positioning parts 211a to 211c of the recording head 10 to engage strongly (Figures 10(a) and 10(b)). This allows the recording head 10 and the print belt unit 2200 to be positioned with high precision. The contact of the recording head 10 with the positioning members 811a to 811c may be due to the weight of the recording head 10 alone, or it may be due to the addition of contact pressure by another pressurizing means not shown.

[0033] Next, with reference to Figure 11, the installation procedure for setting the recording head 10 into the print module 2000 will be described. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the state before the recording head 10 is installed into the print module 2000.

[0034] As shown in Figure 11, when setting the recording head 10 in the print module 2000, the recording head lifting frame 28 is first pulled out from the print module 2000 towards the front. The recording unit 2300 is equipped with a handle 13 at the front end of the recording head lifting frame 28 in the front-rear direction. The operator uses this handle 13 to pull out the recording head lifting frame 28 from the print module 2000 towards the front. Then, the operator moves to the left side of the pulled-out recording head lifting frame 28 and faces the left side of the head holder 26 to install the recording head 10. The recording head 10 is held by the head holder 26, which has an automatic lifting function as described above, and is connected to the head holder 26 by pins or the like, which will be described later.

[0035] When attaching the recording head 10 to the head holder 26, first, the first pin 27a, located on the rear side of the recording head 10, is inserted into the first hole 261 of the head holder 26. Then, the second pin 27b, located on the front side of the recording head 10, is guided into the second hole 262 through the second notch 262c of the head holder 26, and the third pin 27c is guided into the third hole 263 through the third notch 263c. Furthermore, the first pin 27a, the second pin 27b, and the third pin 27c are supported by the first groove 261a of the first hole 261, the second groove 262a of the second hole 262, and the third groove 263a of the third hole 263, respectively. In this way, the recording head 10 can be attached to the head holder 26 with its orientation fixed relative to the head holder 26. As shown in Figure 11, the first pin 27a and the first hole 261 are positioned on the back side in the paper width direction, while the second pin 27b, the third pin 27c, the second hole 262, and the third hole 263 are positioned on the front side in the paper width direction. Therefore, at the back side, which is far from the operator's hands, only the first pin 27a needs to be inserted into the first hole 261, and at the front side, which is closer to the operator's hands, the second pin 27b and the third pin 27c need to be introduced into the second hole 262 and the third hole 263, respectively. This makes it easy to set the recording head 10 into the head holder 26.

[0036] As mentioned above, the print belt unit 2200 has a print belt 2201 which acts as a transport belt for picking up and transporting paper. This print belt 2201 is a color (dark color) that has a high contrast ratio with the paper (sheet).

[0037] <Configuration of the reading unit> Next, the configuration of the scanner unit 11 as a reading unit will be explained using Figures 12(a), 12(b), 13(a), and 13(b). Figures 12(a) to 13(b) are perspective views showing the lifting and rotating movements of the scanner unit 11.

[0038] The scanner unit 11 is provided to be movable between a reading position in which an image on the paper can be read and a separated position further away from the print belt 2201 than the reading position. Figure 12(a) shows the scanner unit 11 in the reading position, and Figure 12(b) shows the scanner unit 11 in the separated position. As shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the scanner unit 11 moves vertically between the reading position and the separated position by the lifting unit 400, while the reading surface 112 faces the print belt 2201 with its reading surface 112 facing downward in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, when the scanner unit 11 is in the separated position, the reading surface 112 is in a position facing the print belt 2201.

[0039] The lifting unit 400 will be described using Figures 12(a) and 12(b). As shown in Figures 12(a) and 12(b), the lifting unit 400 has a rotating shaft 401, a handle 402, and a pair of lifting parts 403. The rotating shaft 401 extends in the front-rear direction (paper width direction) perpendicular to the transport direction in which the paper is transported and the vertical direction. The handle 402 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 401 in the width direction so that the user (operator) can grasp it and rotate the rotating shaft 401.

[0040] A pair of lifting sections 403 are positioned opposite each other at both ends of the rotating shaft 401 in the width direction, and rotatably support the rotating shaft 401. The lifting sections 403 raise and lower the scanner unit 11 vertically in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft 401. However, each lifting section 403 is provided with a holding plate 601 vertically downward, and the holding plate 601 rotatably holds the scanner unit 11. In this embodiment, when the user rotates the handle 402, the holding plate 601 moves vertically together with the lifting sections 403 and the rotating shaft 401, and the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 moves up and down accordingly.

[0041] According to the lifting unit 400 described above, the user can raise and lower the scanner unit 11 vertically by operating the handle 402. In this embodiment, if the user wants to clean the reading surface 112 of the scanner unit 11, they must first move the scanner unit 11 from the reading position (see Figure 12(a)) to a distance position (see Figure 12(b)). In this case, the user grasps the handle 402 and operates it to rotate the rotation axis 401 clockwise. As a result, the lifting unit 403 moves vertically upward, and the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 moves to the distance position. The distance position is a position further from the print belt 2201 than the reading position.

[0042] Furthermore, when the scanner unit 11 is in the separated position described above (see Figure 12(b)), it is provided to be movable in the front-rear direction between a facing position where the reading surface 112 faces the print belt 2201 and a non-facing position where the reading surface 112 does not face the print belt 2201 (hereinafter referred to as the pull-out position). Figure 13(a) shows the scanner unit 11 in the pull-out position. As shown in Figure 13(a), the scanner unit 11 slides in the width direction between the separated position (facing position) and the pull-out position with the reading surface 112 facing vertically downward, by the pull-out unit 500.

[0043] The drawer unit 500 will be explained using Figures 12(b) and 13(a).

[0044] Figure 12(b) shows the scanner unit 11 in the separated position, that is, before the scanner unit 11 is pulled out to the extended position. As shown in Figure 12(b), the extension unit 500 has a pair of slide rails 501 that are spaced apart in the transport direction and extend in the width direction, and a movable frame 502 that holds the lifting unit 400 described above and is provided to slide along the slide rails 501 so as to be movable between the separated position and the extended position. The slide rails 501 are fixed to the housing of the print module 2000. A frame gripping part 503 is provided on one end of the movable frame 502 in the width direction for the user to grip and slide the movable frame 502.

[0045] If the user wants to clean the reading surface 112 of the scanner unit 11, they need to move the scanner unit 11 from the reading position (see Figure 12(a)) to the separated position (see Figure 12(b)), and then move it from the separated position (opposite position) to the pull-out position (see Figure 13(a)).

[0046] In this case, the scanner unit 11 is raised by manually rotating the handle 402 to a position away from the reading position (the position shown in Figure 12(b)). Then, the user grasps the frame gripping part 503 and pulls the movable frame 502 towards them. As a result, the movable frame 502 slides along the slide rail 501 to the extended position. This also moves the lifting unit 400 to the extended position, so the scanner unit 11 held by the holding plate 601 moves to the extended position. In this embodiment, when the scanner unit 11 is in the extended position, it is pulled out from inside the housing of the print module 2000 to the outside of the housing and forward of the housing, with the reading surface 112 exposed outside the housing of the print module 2000.

[0047] Afterward, rotate the scanner unit 11 by approximately 90° using the rotation lever 111 to facilitate wiping (see Figure 13(b)) so that the reading surface 112 is visible for cleaning. In this embodiment, the lifting function is performed by operating the handle 402, but the scanner unit 11 can be raised and lowered manually or electrically.

[0048] The scanner unit 11, located downstream of the recording unit 2300, has the same positioning configuration as the recording head 10 mentioned above, differing only in whether its lifting and lowering operation is automatic or manual. Since the scanner unit 11 is only lifted and lowered when cleaning the reading surface 112, it is operated manually because it is not lifted and lowered frequently.

[0049] <Maintenance Department Configuration> The configuration of the maintenance unit 2600 will be explained using Figure 2.

[0050] As described above, the maintenance unit 2600 includes a cap tray 18 on which a capping mechanism (not shown) is located and a cleaning tray 19 on which a cleaning mechanism (not shown) is located. The cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 are configured to move individually in the left-right direction of the print module 2000 along rails (not shown) provided on the print module 2000. The rails are guide mechanisms that support the ends of the cap tray 18 and the cleaning tray 19 in the paper width direction (front-to-back direction) while guiding their movement in the left-to-right direction.

[0051] The cap tray 18 and cleaning tray 19 are located upstream (right side) of the paper transport direction of the recording unit 2300 when the recording head 10 is recording on paper. When in recording mode, the cap tray 18 is located directly above the cleaning tray 19. The positions of the cap tray 18 and cleaning tray 19 in recording mode are also referred to as the standby position.

[0052] When the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is capped by the capping mechanism, the cap tray 18 is located directly below the recording head 10 of the recording unit 2300, and the cleaning tray 19 is located upstream of the recording unit 2300 in the paper transport direction. In other words, when the head is capped, the cap tray 18 has moved from its standby position along the rail to the capping position downstream in the paper transport direction, and the cleaning tray 19 is in its standby position.

[0053] When the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 is being cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, the cleaning tray 19 is located directly below the recording head 10 of the recording unit 2300, and the cap tray 18 is located upstream of the recording unit 2300 in the paper transport direction. In other words, when the cleaning is in progress, the cleaning tray 19 has moved from its standby position to a cleaning position downstream in the paper transport direction along the rail, and the cap tray 18 is in its standby position.

[0054] Each cap mechanism within the cap tray 18 is equipped with multiple spherical positioning members (not shown) for positioning the recording head 10 relative to the cap mechanism. The positioning members are positioned at both ends of each cap mechanism in the paper width direction (front-to-back direction). That is, the positioning members are provided in the same manner as the positioning members 811a to 811c in the print belt unit 2200. The positioning portions 211a to 211c of each recording head 10 engage with the positioning members of the cap mechanism, thereby positioning the recording head 10 and the cap mechanism.

[0055] Furthermore, the cleaning tray 19 is equipped with a plurality of spherical positioning members (not shown) for positioning the recording head 10 relative to the cleaning tray 19, similar to the positioning members of the cap mechanism. That is, the positioning members are provided in the same way as the positioning members 811a to 811c in the print belt unit 2200. The positioning portions 211a to 211c of each recording head 10 engage with the positioning members of the cleaning tray 19, thereby positioning the recording head 10 and the cleaning tray 19.

[0056] The cleaning tray 19 has a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves a cleaning mechanism (not shown) that restores the ejection performance of the recording head 10 along a wiping direction (forward and backward direction) perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The cleaning mechanism restores the ejection performance of the recording head 10 by removing ink and debris adhering to the ink ejection surface of the recording head 10 while moving in the wiping direction by the moving mechanism.

[0057] <Main frame configuration> Next, the main frame 200 of the print module 2000 will be described using Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17. Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the recording unit 2300 and maintenance unit 2600 mounted on the main frame 200 of the print module 2000. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the main frame of the print module viewed from directly above. Figure 16 is a left-view cross-sectional view of the print module 2000. Figure 17 is a GG cross-sectional view of the print module 2000 in Figure 16.

[0058] The print module 2000 includes a main frame 200 that supports the recording unit 2300 and the print belt unit 2200. The main frame 200 has an upper horizontal column 201, a middle horizontal column 202, a left support column 203, a right support column 204, and so on.

[0059] The main frame 200 has a left support column 203 and a right support column 204, which are provided on both sides in the left-right direction. Each of the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 extends vertically. In other words, the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 are provided opposite each other in the left-right direction of the main frame 200. The left support column 203 is positioned on the left front of the main frame 200, and the right support column 204 is positioned on the right front of the main frame 200.

[0060] The recording unit 2300, scanner unit 11, and maintenance unit 2600 are supported by the main frame 200. The recording unit 2300, scanner unit 11, and maintenance unit 2600 are located between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main frame 200. The scanner unit 11 is located to the left of the recording unit 2300 between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main frame 200. That is, the scanner unit 11 is located between the left support column 203 and the recording unit 2300. The maintenance unit 2600 is located to the right of the recording unit 2300 between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main frame 200. That is, the maintenance unit 2600 is located between the right support column 204 and the recording unit 2300.

[0061] In the main frame 200, the upper horizontal column 201 is installed by spanning it horizontally between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main frame 200. The upper horizontal column 201 is connected to the upper end of the left support column 203 and the upper end of the right support column 204, respectively. The middle horizontal column 202 is installed by spanning it horizontally between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 of the main frame 200, and is installed below the upper horizontal column 201. The middle horizontal column 202 is connected to the left support column 203 and the right support column 204, respectively. As shown in Figure 14, the upper horizontal column 201 and the middle horizontal column 202 are arranged to extend horizontally.

[0062] The recording unit 2300, scanner unit 11, and maintenance unit 2600 are positioned below the upper horizontal beam 201 of the main frame 200. In relation to the middle horizontal beam 202, the recording unit 2300 is positioned above the middle horizontal beam 202. In other words, the recording unit 2300 is positioned between the upper horizontal beam 201 and the middle horizontal beam 202 of the main frame 200. On the other hand, the scanner unit 11 is positioned below the middle horizontal beam 202. The maintenance unit 2600 is positioned above and below the middle horizontal beam 202.

[0063] <Main frame size> Here, we will explain the dimensions of the main frame 200 in the front-to-back direction.

[0064] As mentioned above, the recording unit 2300 contains multiple sets of recording heads 10 and head holders 26, and is attached to the upper horizontal pillars 201 and middle horizontal pillars 202 of the main frame 200. The front-to-back dimensions (front-to-back dimension) of this recording unit 2300 are mainly determined by the following requirements (1) and (2).

[0065] (1) The longitudinal (front-to-back) width of the nozzle plate 223 of the recording head 10 is the maximum paper width + α (an ink coating margin area to absorb paper misalignment). (2) A contact portion 221 that engages with a positioning member 811 positioned for the recording head 10 to land on the print belt unit 2200 is located in the front-to-back region of the nozzle plate 223 of the recording head 10. These requirements determine the necessary front-to-back (longitudinal) dimension of the recording head 10, and the front-to-back dimension of the recording unit 2300 is determined by adding the head holder 26 and the recording head lifting frame 28, which has a function for raising and lowering the recording head 10.

[0066] Furthermore, the front-to-back (longitudinal) dimension of the maintenance section 2600 is determined by the following requirements (1) to (4).

[0067] (1) The front-to-back dimension of the recording head 10 landing configuration, similar to that of the print belt unit 2200, for the recording head 10 to land on the cap mechanism and cleaning mechanism. (2) The front-to-back dimension of the cap tray 18 that holds the cap mechanism and head landing configuration. (3) The front-to-back dimension of the cleaning tray 19 that holds the cleaning mechanism and head landing configuration. (4) The front-to-back dimension of the rail configuration that moves the cap tray 18 and cleaning tray 19 in the left-to-right direction below the recording unit 2300. The front-to-back dimension of the maintenance unit 2600 is determined from these requirements.

[0068] Based on the two configuration requirements described above—the front-to-back dimensions of the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600—the front-to-back position of the central horizontal column 202 in the main frame 200 is determined. The central horizontal column 202 is offset towards the rear at the connection points with the left and right support columns in order to utilize the space inside the front door 100, which will be described later as an exterior cover.

[0069] Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the central horizontal column 202 has a recess 202L, a protrusion 202C, and a recess 202R. In the left-right direction, the protrusion 202C is located between the recess 202L and the recess 202R. That is, the central horizontal column 202 extends in the left-right direction. The recess 202L of the central horizontal column 202 is connected to the left support column 203. The recess 202R of the central horizontal column 202 is connected to the right support column 204. In the front-rear direction, the protrusion 202C is offset towards the front relative to the recesses 202L and 202R. In other words, the central horizontal column 202 has an offset portion (protrusion 202C) that protrudes forward in the front-rear direction. Conversely, the parts on both sides in the left-right direction that face the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 (i.e., the recesses 202L and 202R) are offset towards the rear. The protrusion 202C between the recesses 202L and 202R on both sides of the central horizontal column 202 fits within the internal space (region E shown in Figure 17) enclosed by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100. In other words, the position of at least a portion of the protrusion 202C in the front-rear direction is the same as the position of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-rear direction when it is closed. That is, when viewed along the left-right line of sight, the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 and the protrusion 202C overlap at least partially.

[0070] On the front of the main frame 200, the recording unit 2300 is attached to and held by the central horizontal column 202 and the upper horizontal column 201. With this configuration, the recording unit 2300 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 11, and can be pulled out to the front of the main frame 200.

[0071] The central horizontal column 202 is positioned between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204 on the front of the main frame 200 and supports internal units such as the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600 which moves in the paper transport direction. On the rear side (inside the main frame) of the central horizontal column 202 in the main frame 200, there is an internal space 209 where the recording unit 2300 and the maintenance unit 2600 are located. The recording unit 2300 passes through the internal space 209 on the rear side of the central horizontal column 202 during vertical lifting and lowering movements. The maintenance unit 2600 also passes through the internal space 209 on the rear side of the central horizontal column 202 during left-right movement movements.

[0072] Typically, the central horizontal column 202, which serves to support the unit, is preferably connected linearly within the area between the left and right support columns in the horizontal cross-section, from the standpoint of frame rigidity.

[0073] Here, all or part of the area of ​​the central horizontal column 202 where the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 is not present when viewed from the front protrudes forward beyond the space between the left support column 203 and the right support column 204. In other words, the protrusion 202C between the recesses 202L and 202R on both sides of the central horizontal column 202 protrudes forward beyond the left support column 203 and the right support column 204. This makes it possible to secure a wider internal space 209 on the rear side of the central horizontal column 202 by up to the thickness of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, and to keep the overall size of the main frame 200 small.

[0074] Furthermore, because the front door 100, described later, opens upwards and the transparent cover 110 covers the entire door, it is possible to create a wide and uniform area between the left and right support columns where the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 is not present. For example, if the front door 100 were to open like double doors instead of opening upwards, a frame would be required at the door's dividing point, and the forward projection of the central horizontal column 202 would be hindered in that area. As a result, the area where the door can protrude cannot be made uniform, and it would be difficult to ensure the rigidity of the central horizontal column 202.

[0075] In this way, the rigidity of the central cross column 202 is ensured by having a uniform protruding shape and by ensuring the rigidity of the end region of the central cross column 202 that is not included in the drive path of the internal unit.

[0076] <Front door configuration> Next, using Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19, we will explain the front door 100, which serves as the exterior cover for the front of the print module 2000, located in front of the recording unit 2300. Figure 18(a) is a schematic diagram of the entire front door of the print module. Figure 18(b) is a cross-sectional view of Figure 18(a) of the front door of the print module. Figure 19 is an exploded view of the configuration of the front door of the print module.

[0077] The print module 2000 includes a front door 100 that forms the front exterior of the print module 2000, located in front of the recording unit 2300 in the front-to-back direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical and left-to-right directions. The front door 100 is positioned in front of the recording unit 2300 in the front-to-back direction and is attached to the main frame 200 to form the front exterior. The front door 100 is provided on the main frame 200 so as to be openable and closable. The front door 100 has a transparent cover 110 made of a transparent material that covers the entire front surface. The front door 100 opens and closes by rotating around a pivot axis on the upper end side in the vertical direction.

[0078] In other words, a front door 100 is attached to the front side of the main frame 200. The front door 100 includes a transparent cover 110 as an exterior cover and a front door frame 120 as a frame member (cover frame) with a certain thickness to maintain the rigidity of the front door 100. The front door frame 120 is positioned around at least a portion of the transparent cover 110. In this embodiment, the front door frame 120 surrounds all four sides of the transparent cover 110. As an example of modification, the front door frame 120 may surround only three sides or only two sides of the transparent cover. Alternatively, the front door frame 120 may be provided on only a portion of one side of the transparent cover. The transparent cover 110 is attached to the outside of the front door frame 120 in the thickness direction. In other words, the transparent cover 110 is positioned on the front end side in the front-rear direction of the front door frame 120. Here, the front end side refers to the region between the center and the front end of the front door frame 120 in the front-rear direction.

[0079] Furthermore, when the front door frame 100 is closed, the front door frame 120 is positioned to be supported by the main frame 200 when viewed from the front, so that the front door 100 does not enter the interior space 209 inside the central horizontal column 202 of the main frame 200.

[0080] The front door 100 is formed to cover the entire area T (see Figure 16) above the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt 2201 that transports paper. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 18(a) and 18(b), the front door 100 is equipped with a transparent cover 110 so that the recording unit 2300 and other units inside the device can be seen from outside the device even when printing is in progress. Being able to see inside the device not only allows the operating status of the image forming apparatus to be seen, but also helps in determining whether or not internal cleaning is necessary due to ink mist buildup.

[0081] From a design perspective, the transparent cover 110 is constructed as a single unit (front door unit) from the paper transport surface 24 (see Figure 14) to the upper front door 100, allowing for visibility of as wide an area as possible, not just the recording section 2300. The transparent cover 110 occupies 85% of the front door 100 in the longitudinal direction.

[0082] Specifically, the front door frame 120, which is the cover frame, has a left portion that is the cover frame section facing the left support column 203, and a right portion that is the cover frame section facing the right support column 204. The transparent cover 110 is arranged from the left portion to the right portion. In this way, the front door 100 is formed by the transparent cover 110 from the left support column 203 to the right support column 204 in the left-right direction of the main frame 200.

[0083] Furthermore, the front door 100 is formed by a transparent cover 110 from the upper horizontal column 201 to the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200 in the vertical direction of the main frame 200. As shown in Figure 14, the paper transport surface 24 of the print belt unit 2200 is located below the middle horizontal column 202 of the main frame 200. Therefore, it can also be said that the front door 100 is formed by a transparent cover 110 from the upper horizontal column 201 to the middle horizontal column 202 in the vertical direction of the main frame 200.

[0084] This configuration allows the operating status of the print module 2000 to be visually inspected through the transparent cover 110 without having to open the front door 100. For example, the lifting and lowering movement and position of the recording head 10, the operation and position of the maintenance unit 2600, the position of the scanner unit 11, and the paper transport process can be observed. In addition, the degree of dirt near the recording unit can be visually inspected from outside the machine even while the device is in operation, allowing for a determination of whether cleaning is necessary.

[0085] Furthermore, the transparent cover 110 is made of a transparent resin plastic material, taking into consideration its weight and resistance to breakage, and is made as thin (=light) as possible without compromising its texture. Because the transparent cover 110 is made of a thin resin plastic material, the front door 100 ensures rigidity by making the thickness of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-back direction (region E) thicker than the thickness of the transparent cover 110 in the front-to-back direction. In other words, the thickness of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-back direction is greater than the thickness of the transparent cover in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, the thickness of the transparent cover 110 is 5 mm, and the thickness of the front door frame 120 (region E) is greater than or equal to the thickness of the transparent cover 110 (30 mm or more).

[0086] Here, the front door frame 120 has a thickness of 50 mm in the front-to-back direction. The transparent cover 110 has a thickness of 5 mm in the front-to-back direction. The transparent cover 110 is positioned on the front end side of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-back direction. In other words, the transparent cover 110 is positioned on the outermost surface of the front door 100. Therefore, the front door 100 has an internal space (region E) of 45 mm inside the transparent cover 110.

[0087] As shown in Figure 16, the arrangement of components for each element inside the machine within the space (region E) inside the front door 100 contributes to reducing the front-to-back dimension of the device. As shown in Figure 17, with the recording unit 2300 attached to the central crossbar 202 of the main frame 200, the central crossbar 202 and the recording unit 2300 are contained within the thickness (region E) of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100.

[0088] In other words, of the main frame 200 described above, the left support column 203, the right support column 204, and the upper horizontal column 201 face the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-to-back direction. The left support column 203, the right support column 204, and the upper horizontal column 201 of the main frame 200 are offset to the rearward side of the front end portion of the recording unit 2300 supported by the main frame 200. As a result, the main frame 200 is made smaller, and the front end portion of the recording unit 2300 in the front-to-back direction fits into the internal space equivalent to the thickness (45 mm) of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100.

[0089] Specifically, as mentioned above, the recording unit 2300 is equipped with a handle 13 at the front end in the front-rear direction of the recording head lifting frame 28. The recording unit 2300 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction relative to the main frame 200. The handle 13 is located in the internal space (region E) enclosed by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, in front of the upper crossbar 201 of the main frame 200. In other words, the position of at least a part of the handle 13 in the front-rear direction is the same as the position of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 in the front-rear direction when it is closed. That is, when viewed from a line of sight along the left-right direction, the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 and the handle 13 overlap at least partially.

[0090] As mentioned above, the scanner unit 11 is equipped with a handle 402 at its front end in the front-to-back direction. The handle 402 is located in the internal space (region E) enclosed by the front door frame 120 of the front door 100, in front of the upper crossbar 201 of the main frame 200.

[0091] By giving the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 a thickness in the front-to-back direction, an internal space (region E) is formed, which contributes to reducing the front-to-back dimension of the device.

[0092] The configuration of the front door 100 will be explained in more detail using Figure 19. The front door 100 includes the transparent cover 110, the front door frame 120 that forms the periphery of the transparent cover 110, the gas spring 130 that assists in opening and closing, the upper hinge 140, and the hanging cord 150.

[0093] The front door frame 120 of the front door 100 has a design using two colors of paint. The front door frame 120 consists of a first frame 121 and a second frame 122. The first frame 121 is formed into a square shape by welding together multiple parts and then painted. The second frame 122 is formed by welding together multiple parts into a square shape and then painted in a different color from the first frame 121. After painting, the first frame 121 and the second frame 122 are fastened together with screws to form the front door frame 120. The reason for welding and then painting the first frame 121 and the second frame 122, which consist of multiple parts, is to provide rigidity when assembled into a square shape.

[0094] The transparent cover 110 is glued and fixed to the front end of the front door frame 120 in the front-to-back direction using adhesive. Furthermore, the gas spring 130, upper hinge 140, and hanging cord 150 are each attached to their respective positions on the front door frame 120.

[0095] <Opening and closing the front door> The front door 100 has an upper hinge 140 attached to its upper end, and the upper hinge 140 is attached to the upper horizontal column 201 of the main frame 200. The front door 100 can be in an open state and a closed state by rotating around the upper hinge 140 (or its shaft member 161). In this way, the front door 100 is supported by the main frame 200 so that it can be opened and closed.

[0096] The opening and closing operation of the front door 100 of the print module 2000 will be explained using Figures 3, 20, and 21. Figure 20 shows the front door of the print module in an upward-opening position. Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the suspension cord for the upward-opening front door.

[0097] The front door 100, which covers the recording section 2300 of the print module 2000, opens upward from the upper end of the print module 2000, as shown in Figure 3. The front door 100 has a lever (not shown) at the center of its lower edge for releasing a latch. When the lever is grasped and the latch is released, the front door 100 opens upward on the upper hinge 140 and is assisted in the opening direction by the gas spring 130, hitting a stopper (not shown) provided in the open position and holding the open state.

[0098] If the front door 100 were to open like double doors to the left and right instead of opening upwards, it would be difficult to perform the work during head replacement because there would not be enough space for the worker to move around to the left side of the recording unit after pulling it out from the print module. Therefore, an upward-opening front door 100 is preferable. Furthermore, since the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment consists of multiple modules with different functions connected together, if an error or jam occurs and paper accumulates inside the main unit, it is necessary to access multiple modules in succession. In such cases, an upward-opening front door 100 is preferable because it does not hinder lateral movement of the print module to the adjacent module.

[0099] In other words, by making the front door 100 open upwards, when jamming across multiple modules, the open front door does not obstruct the lateral movement of the print module 2000 to the adjacent module. Also, when replacing the recording head 10, it is easier to access the side of the recording unit 2300 when it is pulled out, making replacement easier. Furthermore, by providing a transparent cover 110 on the upward-opening front door 100, even when the front door 100 is open, the lighting from the ceiling is collected through the transparent cover 110, resulting in a clearer view of the inside of the machine.

[0100] The maximum opening angle α when the front door 100 is opened upwards around its upper end is set as follows. Let h be the vertical height from the installation surface 190 of the image forming apparatus to the free end 100e, which is the lower end of the front door 100, when the front door 100 is opened to its maximum opening angle. Let h1 be the lower limit of the worker's height (e.g., 1470 mm) and h3 be the upper limit of their height (e.g., 1970 mm). Also, let h2 be the predetermined height of the workbench 191 for a worker with a height of lower limit h1 (e.g., 320 mm). Furthermore, the height h4 shown in Figure 20(a) is the height from the eyes of a worker with a height of lower limit h1 standing on the workbench 191 (eye height), and the height h2 of the workbench 191 is set so that this height h4 is the predetermined height (e.g., 1670 mm). The opening angle α of the front door 100 is set such that the vertical height h to the free end 100e of the front door 100 is higher than the vertical height h3+h2 when a worker with a height of upper limit h3 is standing on a workbench 191 which is a predetermined height h2 for a worker with a height of lower limit h1.

[0101] Specifically, the opening angle α of the front door 100, centered on the upper end, is set to 100 ± 10°. In other words, the maximum opening angle α of the front door 100 falls within the range of 90 to 110 degrees.

[0102] For a short person with a height of minimum value h1 to access the maintenance unit 2600, they need to stand on a workbench 191 with a height of h2, as shown in Figure 20(a). Furthermore, even if a tall person with a height of maximum value h3 stands on the workbench 191, their head must not hit the upward-opening front door 100 (Figure 20(b)). The opening angle α of the front door 100, centered on the aforementioned upper end, is set from this human-scale perspective.

[0103] However, when the front door 100 is open at an opening angle of 100°, a short person cannot reach the tip (free end 100e) of the front door 100 and therefore cannot close it. For this reason, as shown in Figure 21, the front door 100 has a hanging cord 150 to assist in the closing operation. The hanging cord 150 is attached to the inside of the front door 100. In this way, the hanging cord 150 is provided on the inside of the front door 100, so that the front door 100 can be closed by first pulling the hanging cord 150 to lower it, and then placing one hand on the tip of the front door 100.

[0104] Furthermore, if the hanging cord 150 is too long, or if the attachment position of the hanging cord 150 is too far towards the front of the front door 100, the hanging cord 150 will protrude from the front door 100 when the front door 100 is closed, detracting from the appearance. On the other hand, if the hanging cord 150 is too short, a short person's hands will not be able to reach the hanging cord 150, and they will not be able to close the front door 100. Also, if the attachment position of the hanging cord 150 is too far towards the base of the front door 100, the front door 100 may hit the worker when the front door 100 is closed.

[0105] From these perspectives, in the front door 100 which opens upward from the upper end base of the print module 2000, the suspension cord 150 is attached to a position closer to the free end than the center point 100c between the upper end (upper hinge 140), which is the pivot point (opening / closing pivot point) of the front door 100, and the free end 100e.

[0106] Furthermore, the total length L1 of the suspension cord 150 is set to be shorter than the length L2 from the attachment position 100a of the suspension cord 150 to the free end 100e of the front door 100.

[0107] Furthermore, when the front door 100 is opened to its maximum opening angle α, the height h5 from the mounting surface 190 of the image forming apparatus to the lower end 150e of the suspension cord 150 is below the set value that can be reached by an operator with a minimum height of h1.

[0108] Specifically, the upper limit height h5 of the suspension cord 150 is set to 1700 mm, and the mounting position 100a of the suspension cord 150 is set to 360 mm from the front end (free end 100e) of the front door 100 in the front-to-back direction. As a result, when a worker with a height of minimum h1 closes the front door 100, the angle of their arm when they place their second finger on the suspension cord 150 is approximately 160°, making it possible to keep the worker with a height of minimum h1 outside the rotation trajectory of the front door 100. Even if a worker with a height of minimum h1 closes the front door 100, it is possible to avoid the front door 100 hitting that worker.

[0109] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment requires an interlock and a door lock from a safety standpoint, and is designed so that the front door cannot be opened even if the latch lever is squeezed while the main unit is in operation, as the latch will not be released.

[0110] In this embodiment, the front door 100 provided on the front of the image forming apparatus opens upwards, but the direction in which the front door 100 opens is arbitrary, and it may open sideways or downwards.

[0111] Furthermore, as described above, the recording unit, the handle of the recording unit, the central crossbar, the maintenance unit, the reading unit, the transport belt, etc., are visible through the transparent cover 110 when the front door 100 is closed. For each element, only a part of the element may be visible, or the entire element may be visible. In addition, some of the above elements (for example, the reading unit) may be configured not to be visible.

[0112] <Upper hinge> Figures 22 to 27 will be used to describe in detail the upper hinge 140 used in the front door 100.

[0113] Figure 22 is a perspective view showing an upper hinge 140 connecting the front door 100 and the main frame 200. The upper hinge 140 shown in Figure 22 is shown detached from the front door 100 and the main frame 200 to illustrate its structure. As shown in Figure 22, the upper hinge 140 includes a shaft member 161, a shaft support member 162 (second shaft support member), a shaft support member 163 (first shaft support member), and a regulating member 164. Multiple upper hinges 140 are provided on the front door 100.

[0114] Here, one upper hinge 140 is provided on the right side and one on the left side of the front door 100. The upper hinge 140 is attached to the upper end of the front door 100 and to the upper horizontal column 201 of the main frame 200, connecting the front door 100 and the main frame 200. The front door 100 can be opened and closed by rotating around the shaft member 161 of the upper hinge 140.

[0115] Each of the multiple upper hinges 140 similarly has the configuration shown in Figure 22. Each component will be described below.

[0116] Figure 23 is a perspective view of the front door 100 and a portion of the upper hinge 140, seen from the rear. The shaft support member 162 of the upper hinge 140 is attached to the front door 100. Specifically, the shaft support member 162 of the upper hinge 140 is fixed to the back side (rear) of the front door frame 120 of the front door 100 with a fastening member 165. The front door frame 120 of the front door 100 is provided with a hole 120a (see Figure 28) for fixing the fastening member 165. The hole 120a is provided on the back side of the front door frame 120. On the other hand, the shaft support member 162 is provided with an elongated hole 162f so as to face each of the holes 120a of the front door frame 120. The elongated hole 162f is provided on the surface (facing portion 162a) of the shaft support member 162 that faces the back side of the front door frame 120. Here, the elongated hole 162f is a hole that is elongated in one direction for the purpose of adjusting the position of the front door 100. Therefore, the fixed position of the front door 100 relative to the shaft support member 162 can be adjusted by loosening the fastening of the fastening member 165.

[0117] The shaft support member 162 is made of sheet metal. A portion of the shaft support member 162 is bent to form an annular portion 162c through which the shaft member 161 is inserted. Specifically, the shaft support member 162 first has an opposing portion 162a that faces the back surface of the front door frame 120. Furthermore, the shaft support member 162 has a bent portion 162b that is bent up from the upper end of the opposing portion 162a. The tip of the bent portion 162b, that is, the portion opposite to the upper end of the opposing portion 162a (towards the main frame), is further bent to form an annular portion 162c. One shaft support member 162 has two annular portions 162c. A common shaft member 161 is inserted through the two annular portions 162c. Here, a configuration in which one shaft support member 162 has two annular portions is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited to this; for example, one shaft support member 162 may have only one annular portion 162c.

[0118] The shaft support member 162 has bends applied to both the left and right ends of the opposing portion 162a, forming a support portion 162e that supports the bent portion 162b from below. Furthermore, the support portion 162e has a rearward extension that supports the bent portion 162b from below, and also supports the annular portion 162c provided at the tip of the bent portion 162b from below. This configuration increases the required strength and durability of the shaft support member 162.

[0119] The shaft member 161 is made of metal. The shaft member 161 is cylindrical. The shaft member 161 is supported by shaft support members 162 and 163. Specifically, the shaft member 161 is inserted through the annular portion 162c of the shaft support member 162, which is attached to the front door 100, so that the shaft member 161 and the shaft support member 162 rotate in accordance with the rotation of the front door 100. The shaft member 161 is also supported by the shaft support member 163, which is attached to the main frame 200. The load from the front door 100 is applied to the annular portion 162c of the shaft support member 162. Even in this case, the annular portion 162c of the shaft support member 162 has sufficient strength to prevent the shaft member 161 from coming off the annular portion 162c. High durability can be obtained by forming the shaft support member 162 from metal such as sheet metal. However, the shaft support member 162 may be made of resin or the like, depending on the required strength. The same applies to the other components of the upper hinge 140.

[0120] Figure 24 is a perspective view of the main frame 200 and a portion of the upper hinge 140 from the front. The shaft support member 163 of the upper hinge 140 is attached to the main frame 200. Specifically, the shaft support member 163 of the upper hinge 140 is fixed to the front surface of the upper horizontal column 201 of the main frame 200 with fastening members (not shown). The shaft support member 163 is made of sheet metal. A portion of the shaft support member 163 is bent to form a holding portion 163b that holds the shaft member 161. Specifically, the shaft support member 163 has an opposing portion 163a that faces the front surface of the main frame 200. Furthermore, the shaft support member 163 has a holding portion 163b which is a portion bent up from the upper end of the opposing portion 163a. ​​The holding portion 163b holds the shaft member 161 on its upper surface. The holding portion 163b holds the shaft member 161, which is inserted through the annular portion 162c of the shaft support member 162, from below. Furthermore, the tip of the holding portion 163b, that is, the portion opposite to the opposing portion 163a (the front door side), is further bent. The bent portion provided at the tip of the holding portion 163b constitutes a restricting portion 163c that restricts the movement of the shaft member 161 (and thus the front door 100) in the forward direction (the radial direction of the shaft member 161). The upper end of the restricting portion 163c has a convex portion (projection) that protrudes upward.

[0121] The connection between the shaft support member 162 and the shaft support member 163 will be explained using Figures 25 and 26. Figure 25 is a perspective view showing a part of the upper hinge 140. Figure 26(a) is a perspective view showing the upper hinge 140, and Figure 26(b) is a front view showing the upper hinge 140. Figure 25 shows the process of connecting the shaft support member 162 and the shaft support member 163. In contrast, Figures 26(a) and 26(b) show the state in which the shaft support member 162 and the shaft support member 163 are connected.

[0122] As shown in Figure 25, an opening 162d is provided in the bent portion 162b of the shaft support member 162. The opening 162d is located between two annular portions 162c. When the shaft member 161, which is inserted through the two annular portions 162c, is placed on the upper surface of the holding portion 163b of the shaft support member 163, the restricting portion 163c of the shaft support member 163 is inserted through the opening 162d of the shaft support member 162. With this configuration, the restricting portion 163c restricts the movement of the shaft support member 162 (and thus the front door 100) in the left-right direction (thrust direction of the shaft member 161). That is, as shown in Figures 26(a) and 26(b), the connection between the shaft support member 162 and the shaft support member 163 restricts the movement of the front door 100 relative to the main frame 200 in the forward direction and in the left-right direction.

[0123] Figure 27 is a perspective view showing the upper hinge 140. A restricting member 164 is further attached to the connected shaft support members 162 and 163. The restricting member 164 of the upper hinge 140 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper horizontal column 201 (see Figure 30(a)) of the main frame 200 with fastening members (not shown).

[0124] The restricting member 164 is made of sheet metal. A portion of the restricting member 164 is bent to form the shaft cover portion 164b. Specifically, the restricting member 164 first has an opposing portion 164a that faces the upper surface of the main frame 200. The front portion of the opposing portion 164a is bent to form the shaft cover portion 164b. When cut in a cross-section including the front-rear and up-down directions, the cross-section of the shaft cover portion 164b is U-shaped with the bottom open. That is, a recess is formed when viewed from below. The restricting portion 163c of the shaft member 161 and the shaft support member 163 is housed in this recess. The length of the shaft cover portion 164b in the left-right direction is equal to or shorter than the distance between the two annular portions 162c of the shaft support member 162. Therefore, as shown in Figure 22, when the restricting member 164 is installed, the shaft cover portion 164b is positioned between the two annular portions 162c.

[0125] As shown in Figure 27, the shaft cover portion 164b is provided with an opening 164c. When the restricting portion 163c of the shaft member 161 and the shaft support member 163 are housed in the recess of the shaft cover portion 164b, the protrusion at the upper end of the restricting portion 163c is inserted through the opening 164c.

[0126] In this way, the restricting member 164 is attached to the connected shaft support members 162 and 163, thereby restricting the upward movement of the shaft member 161 (and consequently the front door 100). As mentioned above, the restricting portion 163c of the shaft support member 163 restricts the forward movement of the front door 100. That is, the restricting member 164 and the restricting portion 163c of the shaft support member 163 restrict the relative position of the front door 100 with respect to the main frame 200 in the radial direction of the shaft member 161. Furthermore, the restricting portion 163c of the shaft support member 163 also positions the front door 100 relative to the main frame 200 in the thrust direction.

[0127] With the restricting member 164 attached, the central portion of the shaft member 161 is positioned in the area enclosed by (1) the restricting portion 163c of the shaft support member 163, (2) the holding portion 163b of the shaft support member 163, and (3) the shaft cover portion 164b of the restricting member 164. When the shaft member 161 and the shaft support member 162 rotate in response to the rotation of the front door 100, the shaft member 161 rotates relative to the restricting portion 163c, the holding portion 163b, and the shaft cover portion 164b. In the radial and thrust directions, the relative position of the shaft member 161 with respect to the main frame 200 is restricted. Therefore, the degree of freedom of movement of the front door 100 relative to the main frame 200 is limited to the rotational direction with the extension direction of the shaft member 161 as the center of rotation. With this configuration, the shaft member 161, shaft support member 162, shaft support member 163, and regulating member 164 realize the function of the upper hinge 140.

[0128] <Front door position adjustment mechanism> Next, the adjustment mechanism for the fixing position of the front door 100 relative to the shaft support member 162 of the upper hinge 140 will be explained in detail using Figures 28 to 31.

[0129] As shown in Figure 28, the shaft support member 162 is provided with an adjustment hole 166, and the front door frame 120 of the front door is provided with an adjustment hole 167. The adjustment holes 166 and 167 are positioned so as to overlap each other at least partially.

[0130] The adjustment hole 167 is the point of application when an external force is applied to the front door frame 120 to move the front door connected to the upper hinge 140. On the other hand, the adjustment hole 166 is the fulcrum when the aforementioned external force is applied to the front door frame 120. Since at least a portion of the adjustment hole 166 of the shaft support member 162 is positioned to overlap the adjustment hole 167 of the front door, the shaft member 169 can be inserted through the adjustment holes 167 and 166. As a result, the adjustment hole 167 of the front door functions as the point of application, and the adjustment hole 166 of the shaft support member 162 functions as the fulcrum. More precisely, the end 166a of the adjustment hole 166 of the shaft support member 162, which is fixed to the main frame, is the fulcrum. Also, the end 167a of the adjustment hole 167 of the front door frame 120 of the front door is the point of application.

[0131] This configuration makes it possible to apply a force to the point of application using the lever principle by using a shaft member 169 (such as a handheld tool or a shaft member attached to the device itself) that is sufficiently longer than the distance between the fulcrum and the point of application.

[0132] In other words, by inserting the shaft member 169 into the overlapping adjustment holes 166 and 167, it becomes possible to apply the external force to the front door using the end 166a of the adjustment hole 166 in the shaft support member 162 as a fulcrum and the end 167a of the adjustment hole 167 in the front door as the point of application.

[0133] Next, the specific adjustment procedure will be described. The front door 100 has a gas spring 130 as an auxiliary member that assists in opening and closing the door (see Figure 19). The gas spring 130 biases the front door 100 in the direction that opens the front door 100 when it is open relative to the main frame 200 (direction V in Figure 28(a)). One end of the gas spring 130 is attached to the front door frame 120. Although not shown, the other end of the gas spring 130 is attached to the main frame.

[0134] As shown in Figure 29(a), the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 are biased in the V direction by the biasing force of the gas spring 130. When the fastening member 165 is loosened, the shaft support member 162 is fixed to the main frame 200, so the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 move in the W direction. Figures 29(a), 30(a), and 31(a) show the state in which the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 have moved in the W direction. In this state, the shaft member 169 is inserted into the adjustment hole 166 of the shaft support member 162 and the adjustment hole 167 of the front door frame 120. As mentioned above, the shaft member 169 may be attached to the main body of the device, or a general tool such as a screwdriver may be used.

[0135] As shown in Figure 29(b), when the shaft member 169 inserted into the adjustment holes 166 and 167 is tilted in the X direction, an amplified force due to the lever principle is applied to the front door 100 and the front door frame 120, causing the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 to move in the Y direction. Figures 29(b), 30(b), and 31(b) show the state during adjustment where the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 are moving in the Y direction, which is the opposite direction to the W direction.

[0136] As described above, the shaft member 169 inserted into the overlapping adjustment holes 166 and 167 applies the external force to the front door 100 and the front door frame 120, with the end of the adjustment hole in the shaft support member 162 acting as the fulcrum and the end of the adjustment hole in the door acting as the point of application. At this time, the distance from the point of application of force (the gripping portion 169a of the shaft member 169) to the fulcrum (end 166a) is greater than the distance from the fulcrum (end 166a) to the point of application (end 167a). Therefore, when the shaft member 169 inserted into the adjustment holes 166 and 167 is tilted in the X direction, a force amplified by the lever principle is applied to the front door 100 and the front door frame 120. In other words, the force applied at the point of application is amplified by the lever principle and applied to the point of application. Therefore, even if the force used to operate the shaft member 169 is small, the force amplified by the lever principle is applied to the front door 100 and the front door frame 120, making it easy to adjust the position of the front door 100.

[0137] As shown in Figure 29(c), when the shaft member 169 is tilted further in the X direction, the front door 100 and front door frame 120 move further in the Y direction. The shaft support member 162 has a scale 168 (see Figure 31) engraved on it that indicates the amount of movement. On the other hand, the front door frame 120 has a mark 120b (see Figure 31) at a position opposite to the scale 168 on the shaft support member 162. The mark 120b moves together with the front door frame 120 and moves along the scale 168. Therefore, it is possible to complete the movement (position adjustment) of the front door 100 with the scale 168 as the reference. Figures 29(c), 30(c), and 31(c) show the state in which the adjustment of the front door 100 and front door frame 120 has been completed. In this embodiment, the adjustment is made with the scale 0 as the reference, but the reference will also change depending on the tolerance variation of the parts, so it is necessary to make adjustments for each individual unit. When the shaft member 169 is held with one hand, the screwdriver is also held with one hand. However, due to the lever principle, the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 can be moved with little force, making it easy to adjust the position of the front door 100 even with one hand.

[0138] In the above-described embodiment, an adjustment hole 167 is provided in the front door 100, which serves as the point of application when applying force to move the front door 100, and an adjustment hole 166 is provided in the shaft support member 162, which serves as the fulcrum when applying the force to the front door, thereby illustrating a configuration for adjusting the position of the front door 100. However, the configuration for adjusting the fixed position of the front door 100 is not limited to this, and for example, the configurations shown in Figures 32 to 35 may also be used.

[0139] Next, another embodiment of the adjustment mechanism for the fixing position of the front door 100 relative to the shaft support member 162 of the upper hinge 140 will be described using Figures 32 to 35.

[0140] As shown in Figure 32, the shaft support member 162 is provided with a cam contact hole 172. The front door frame 120 of the front door is provided with a cam shaft mounting hole 173. The cam shaft 171 is rotatably supported in the cam shaft mounting hole 173. A cam 170 is attached to the cam shaft 171. In other words, the front door frame 120 is provided with a cam shaft 171 that can rotate about an axis in the front-rear direction. The cam 170 is provided with an opening (inner edge 177) through which the cam shaft 171 is inserted. Both the outer edge 176 of the cam shaft 171 and the inner edge 177 of the cam 170 have a D-cut shape. By inserting the cam shaft 171 into the inner edge 177 of the cam 170, the cam shaft 171 and the cam 170 are engaged with each other. In other words, the cam shaft 171 and the cam 170 are configured to rotate together as a single unit. To put it another way, the cam shaft 171 is provided with a cam 170 that rotates together with the cam shaft 171. The cam 170, as a cam component, has a circular outer edge 178. The center of the circle formed by the outer edge 178 of the cam 170 is offset from the center of the circular portion of the inner edge 177. The outer edge 178 of the cam 170 is positioned so as to be able to contact the inner circumferential surface of the cam contact hole 172 of the shaft support member 162. The cam contact hole 172 is configured as an elongated hole. The vertical width of the cam contact hole 172 is approximately equal to the diameter of the outer edge 178 of the cam 170. The horizontal width of the cam contact hole 172 is sufficiently wider than the diameter of the outer edge 178 of the cam 170. By applying an external force to the cam shaft 171 to rotate the cam 170, the cam 170 rotates together with the cam shaft 171. This rotation changes the cam 170's relative position to the cam contact hole 172 in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, since the vertical width of the cam contact hole 172 is approximately equal to the diameter of the outer edge 178 of the cam 170, the rotation of the cam 170 changes the vertical relative position between the front door frame 120 and the shaft support member 162. As a result, the front door is moved to a position relative to the shaft support member 162 that corresponds to the amount of rotation of the cam 170.

[0141] Furthermore, a through hole 174 is provided on the outer circumference of the camshaft 171 for inserting a shaft member 169 (such as a handheld tool or a shaft member attached to the main body of the device). The through hole 174 is provided on the camshaft 171 and is a through hole that penetrates in an intersecting direction that intersects the axial direction of the camshaft 171. The first end of the through hole 174 in the aforementioned intersecting direction functions as the point of application when an external force that rotates the cam 170 is applied to the camshaft 171. The second end of the through hole 174, opposite to the first end in the aforementioned intersecting direction, functions as a fulcrum when the external force is applied to the camshaft 171. Here, the through hole 174 has an inlet end 174a for inserting a shaft member 175 as the fulcrum and an outlet end 174b as the point of application. Since the fulcrum and the point of application are close together, it is possible to apply rotational force to the camshaft 171 using the lever principle by using a shaft member 169 of a handheld tool or other such tool (or a shaft member attached to the device body).

[0142] Next, the specific adjustment procedure will be described. As shown in Figure 33(a), the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 are biased in the V direction by the biasing force of the gas spring 130. When the fastening member 165 is loosened, the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 move in the W direction because the shaft support member 162 is fixed to the main frame 200. Figures 33(a), 34(a), and 35(a) show the state in which the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 have moved in the W direction. In this state, the shaft member 169 is inserted into the through hole 174 of the camshaft 171. As mentioned above, the shaft member 169 may be attached to the main body of the device, or a general tool such as a screwdriver may be used.

[0143] Then, the camshaft 171 is rotated in the Z direction using the shaft member 169 inserted into the through hole 174. Here, the shaft member 169 inserted into the through hole 174 applies the external force to the camshaft 171, with the through hole end 174a on the entrance side of the through hole 174 as the fulcrum and the through hole end 174b on the exit side of the through hole 174 as the point of application. At this time, the distance from the point of application of the external force to the shaft member 169 (the gripping portion 169a of the shaft member 169) to the fulcrum (through hole end 174a) is greater than the distance from the fulcrum (through hole end 174a) to the point of application (through hole end 174b). Therefore, when the shaft member 169 inserted into the through hole 174 is rotated in the Z direction, the force amplified by the lever principle is applied to the camshaft 171, and the cam 170 rotates in the Z direction together with the camshaft 171. In other words, the force applied to the point of application is amplified by the lever principle and applied to the point of action. Therefore, even if the force used to operate the shaft member 169 is small, the amplified force due to the lever principle is applied to the camshaft 171, and this amplified force rotates the cam 170 in the Z direction. This rotation changes the contact position of the cam 170 with respect to the cam contact hole 172, and the front door is moved to a position corresponding to the contact position, making it easy to adjust the position of the front door 100.

[0144] As shown in Figure 33(b), when the camshaft 171 is rotated in the Z direction using the shaft member 169, the outer edge 178 of the cam 170, which rotates integrally with the camshaft 171, comes into contact with a part of the cam contact hole 172 of the shaft support member 162. As a result, the contact force from the cam 170 is applied to the front door 100 and the front door frame 120, causing the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 to move in the Y direction. Figures 33(b), 34(b), and 35(b) show the state during adjustment where the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 are moving in the Y direction.

[0145] As shown in Figure 33(c), when the cam 170 is further rotated in the Z direction, the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 move further in the Y direction. Similar to the previously described embodiment, the shaft support member 162 is marked with a scale 168 indicating the approximate amount of movement, and the front door frame 120 has a mark 120b positioned opposite the scale 168 on the shaft support member 162. Therefore, it is possible to complete the movement (position adjustment) of the front door 100 using the scale 168 as a reference. Figures 33(c), 34(c), and 35(c) show the state after the adjustment of the front door 100 and the front door frame 120 has been completed. In this embodiment, as in the previously described embodiment, the adjustment is made using the scale 0 as a reference, but since the reference changes depending on the tolerance variations of the parts, it is necessary to adjust each individual unit. Because the rotation center of the cam 170 and the cam contact portion of the cam contact hole 172 are close together, the resulting moment is small, and even if the rotation of the cam 170 is stopped midway, the phase of the cam 170 is maintained. Therefore, it is not necessary to hold the shaft member 169 with one hand, and the position of the front door 100 can be easily adjusted.

[0146] As described above, the front door position can be easily adjusted by using the lever principle. This improves maintainability during factory assembly, installation, and service maintenance.

[0147] <Protection mechanism to prevent misalignment of the front door position adjustment mechanism> Next, the configuration for preventing misalignment of the front door 100's position adjustment mechanism will be explained using Figures 36 to 40.

[0148] Figures 36 to 40 show the position adjustment mechanism with a misalignment prevention configuration, in addition to the hinge configuration shown in Figure 32, so that the hinge does not need to be readjusted even if an impact occurs, such as when a cargo item is dropped. Figure 36 is an exploded perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism with the misalignment prevention configuration. Figure 37 is a perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism with the misalignment prevention configuration during adjustment. Figure 38 is a front view of the position adjustment mechanism with the misalignment prevention configuration. Figure 39 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the position adjustment mechanism with the front door closed. Figure 40 shows the direction of the force applied to the position adjustment mechanism when an impact occurs.

[0149] As shown in Figure 36, in this embodiment, a cam stopper 180, a stopper plate 181, and a stopper plate fastening member 182 are added to the configuration shown in Figure 32.

[0150] As shown in Figures 36 and 37, the cam stopper 180 has abutment surface 180a that abuts against the cam shaft 171, and abutment surface 180b provided on the opposite side of the abutment surface 180a in the vertical direction and abuts against the shaft support member 162. The cam stopper 180 is configured to slide in the left-right direction, with the right portion in the left-right direction inserted into the opening 162R of the shaft support member 162, and the left portion in the left-right direction inserted into the opening 162L of the shaft support member 162. The cam stopper 180 is not only supported to slide in the left-right direction by the openings 162R and 162L of the shaft support member 162, but its movement in the front-back and up-down directions intersecting the left-right direction is also suppressed. The stopper plate 181 is constrained to move in the up-down and front-back directions by the stopper plate fastening member 182, and is configured to move in the left-right direction by loosening the fastening of the stopper plate fastening member 182.

[0151] Figure 39 is a cross-sectional view of the upper hinge 140, front door 100, and main frame 200 cut at the fastening member 165. When the front door 100 is closed, the front door 100 is always subjected to a force F in the V direction (approximately vertically upward) by the reaction force of the gas springs 130 (for example, 600 N per spring). Each of the left and right shaft support members 162 is subjected to an upward force Fy (for example, about 450 N), taking into account the weight of the front door 100 (for example, 300 N). In order for the front door 100 to always remain in the same position against this force, the frictional force (for example, about 4500 N, assuming a static friction coefficient of 0.3) generated by the fastening force of the fastening member 165 (about 15000 N) at the contact point s between the shaft support member 162 and the front door frame 120 must be greater than the upward force Fy.

[0152] Normally, the frictional force exerted by the fastening member 165 is greater than the reaction force of the gas spring 130, so there is no displacement. However, if an impact force (for example, approximately 6000N if an impact velocity v = 2.0 m / s is applied to the front door 100 over 0.01 s, assuming a free fall from about 20 cm) is applied to the front door 100 due to an impact such as a dropped cargo, a load greater than the frictional force is applied to the contact area s between the shaft support member 162 and the front door frame 120. In this case, the shaft support member 162 becomes able to move relative to the front door frame 120. As a result, the shaft support member 162 may move to a position different from the position adjusted by rotating the cam 170 and camshaft 171.

[0153] In other words, if the shaft support member 162 moves relative to the front door frame 120 due to impacts during logistics, there is a risk that the front door 100 will be misaligned from its adjusted position relative to the main frame 200. If it is misaligned, other parts may interfere, which could lead to wear or damage to parts due to contact during vibration. In addition, if it is misaligned, the gap between the front door 100 and the surrounding exterior will become uneven, reducing the quality of the exterior. Therefore, the front door frame 120 and the shaft support member 162 must be kept in place from their adjusted position even when subjected to impacts during logistics.

[0154] Therefore, as shown in Figure 36, a cam stopper 180 is placed on the shaft support member 162, and a stopper plate 181 and a stopper plate fastening member 182 are provided to restrict the rotation of the cam 170 and the movement of the cam stopper 180.

[0155] The cam stopper 180 is a stopper member that includes abutment surface 180a that abuts against the cam shaft 171 and is movably positioned on the upper hinge 140. The stopper plate 181 and the stopper plate fastening member 182 are positioned on the front door 100 and are movement restricting members that restrict the movement of the cam stopper 180 after it has been moved to a position where its abutment surface 180a abuts against the cam shaft 171, after the relative position of the front door 100 with respect to the main frame 200 has been adjusted. These will be explained below.

[0156] As shown in Figure 37, the cam stopper 180 is positioned on the shaft support member 162 such that its right-side portion is supported by one opening 162R in the left-right direction of the shaft support member 162, and its left-side portion is supported by the other opening 162L in the left-right direction of the shaft support member 162.

[0157] When adjusting the position of the shaft support member 162 relative to the front door frame 120 by the rotation of the cam 170, the cam stopper 180 and stopper plate 181 are moved to one side in the left-right direction and retracted to a position that does not obstruct the rotation of the cam shaft 17. Then, the position of the shaft support member 162 is adjusted by the rotation of the cam 170, and after the position adjustment is complete, the fastening member 165 is tightened to fix the shaft support member 162 to the front door frame 120.

[0158] Next, the cam stopper 180 is slid so that its abutment surface 180a abuts against the camshaft 171, which rotates integrally with the cam 170. The abutment surface 180b of the cam stopper 180 is in contact with the shaft support member 162, and as shown in Figures 39 and 40, even if an impact due to logistics is applied to the front door 100, the vertical component of the impact is absorbed by the rigid metal (e.g., AL or SUS) cam stopper 180 and the iron shaft support member 162 as a compressive load.

[0159] Furthermore, the relative position between the cam shaft 171 and the shaft support member 162 changes due to the rotation of the cam 170 during adjustment. Therefore, the abutment surface 180a of the cam stopper 180 is tilted at an angle α so that it abuts against the cam shaft 171 during adjustment even if there are variations in the parts. An angle α is such that, for example, if the vertical adjustment amount due to the rotation of the cam 170 is ±3.5 mm, the cam stopper 180 abuts against the cam stopper 180 within its range of horizontal movement even if the cam shaft 171 moves 7 mm vertically relative to the shaft support member 162. Here, angle α is the angle between the direction of movement of the cam stopper 180 and the abutment surface 180a.

[0160] Figure 40 shows a schematic representation of the direction of the load applied to the camshaft 171 and cam stopper 180 when a vertical force Fy is applied during a fall vibration. The cam stopper 180 receives a force Fy × cosα from the camshaft 171 in a direction perpendicular to the abutment surface 180a. As mentioned above, the cam stopper 180 does not move in the vertical direction because, in addition to the abutment surface 180a being in contact with the camshaft 171, the abutment surface 180b on the opposite side in the vertical direction from the abutment surface 180a is in contact with the shaft support member 162.

[0161] However, since the cam stopper 180 receives a horizontal component force Fx due to the angle α of the abutment surface 180a, it is necessary to restrict its movement in the horizontal direction. Therefore, after the rotation adjustment of the cam 170 is completed, the cam stopper 180 is slid to the left L so that the abutment surface 180a abuts against the cam shaft 171, and then the stopper plate 181 is slid to the left L so that it abuts against the cam stopper 180. In this state, the stopper plate fastening member 182 is fastened to restrict the horizontal movement of the stopper plate 181 and the cam stopper 180.

[0162] The angle α of the abutment surface 180a of the cam stopper 180 is preferably set within a range that ensures the lateral stroke of the cam stopper 180, and that the fastening force Fb of the stopper plate fastening member 182 is smaller than the horizontal component force Fx. In this embodiment, the stopper plate 181 is fastened with two stopper plate fastening members 182 (for example, two screws), and the angle α of the abutment surface 180a is set to 20°. The angle α of the abutment surface 180a is preferably set within a range of 10° to 30°, depending on the lateral stroke of the cam stopper 180 and the fastening force Fb of the stopper plate fastening member 182 that prevents the stopper plate 181 from moving.

[0163] As described above, in this embodiment, a cam stopper 180 is provided on the shaft support member 162, and a stopper plate 181 and a stopper plate fastening member 182 are provided to restrict the rotation of the cam 170 and the movement of the cam stopper 180. In this way, after the position of the cam 170 and the shaft support member 162 is adjusted, the rotation of the cam 170 and the movement of the shaft support member 162 are restricted, suppressing displacement of the front door 100 due to impacts during logistics. This makes it possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which the position of the front door 100 can be easily adjusted and in which the position of the front door 100 will not be shifted due to impacts during logistics. Furthermore, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that shortens the installation time and maintains good exterior quality. [Explanation of symbols]

[0164] 100 ... Front door (door) 110... Transparent cover (outer cover) 120 ... Front door frame (frame component) 120a ...hole 120b ... Landmark 130 ... Gas spring (auxiliary component) 140... Upper hinge (hinge) 161...Shaft member 162 ...Axis support member (second axis support member) 163 ...Axis support member (first axis support member) 164 ... Regulating member 165 ... Fastening member 166…adjustment hole 166a…Adjustment hole end (fulcrum) 167…adjustment hole 167a...Adjustment hole end (point of action) 168… scale markings 169...Shaft member 169a...Gripping part (force point) 170 ... Cam (cam component) 171 ... Camshaft 172 ... Cam contact hole 173 ... Camshaft mounting hole 174 ... through hole 174a...Through hole end (fulcrum) 174b...Through hole end (point of action) 180 ... Cam stopper 180a ...butt surface 180b ...buttock surface 181... Stopper plate 182 ... Stopper plate fastening member 200 ... Main frame 201…Upper horizontal column 202... Center horizontal pillar 203…Left pillar 204... Right support column 209 ... Interior space 402 ... Handle 1000 ... Paper feed module 2000 ... Print Module 2200 ... Printed belt unit 2300 ... Records Department 2600 ... Maintenance Department 3000 ... Drying module 4000 ... Fuser module 5000 ... Cooling module 6000 ... Inverting module 7000 ... Paper output and stacking module

Claims

1. An image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, The main frame supporting the image forming unit, A door is positioned in front of the image forming section in the front-to-back direction intersecting the vertical direction, and is attached to the main frame so as to form the front exterior, The door is provided with a hinge connecting it to the main frame so that the door rotates to open and close relative to the main frame, Each of the aforementioned door and hinge is provided with an adjustment hole. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the adjustment holes of the door and the adjustment holes of the hinge are arranged to overlap at least partially.

2. The aforementioned hinge is, A first shaft support member attached to the main frame, A second shaft support member attached to the aforementioned door, The shaft member is supported by the first shaft support member and the second shaft support member, The aforementioned door opens and closes by rotating around the aforementioned shaft member. The adjustment hole for the hinge is provided in the second axis support member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment hole of the door and the adjustment hole of the second axial support member are arranged to overlap at least partially.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that when an external force is applied to the door to move the door connected to the hinge by an insertion member inserted into the adjustment hole of the door and the adjustment hole of the second axis support member, the adjustment hole provided in the second axis support member functions as a fulcrum and the adjustment hole provided in the door functions as a point of application.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the distance from the point of force application to the insertion member to the fulcrum is greater than the distance from the fulcrum to the point of application.

5. The door is equipped with an auxiliary member to assist in its rotation, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the auxiliary member biases the main frame in the direction of opening the door.

6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the door includes a frame member and an exterior cover, and the second axial support member is attached to the frame member.

7. An image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, The main frame supporting the image forming unit, A door is positioned in front of the image forming section in the front-to-back direction intersecting the vertical direction, and is attached to the main frame so as to form the front exterior, A hinge connects the door to the main frame so that the door rotates to open and close relative to the main frame, A camshaft is attached to a mounting hole provided in the aforementioned door, The hinge comprises a cam member positioned in a contact hole provided in the hinge and rotating integrally with the cam shaft, An image forming apparatus characterized in that the relative position between the main frame and the hinge changes according to the amount of rotation of the cam member.

8. The aforementioned hinge is, A first shaft support member attached to the main frame, A second shaft support member attached to the aforementioned door, The shaft member is supported by the first shaft support member and the second shaft support member, The aforementioned door opens and closes by rotating around the aforementioned shaft member. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the contact hole is provided in the second axis support member.

9. The camshaft is provided with a through hole that penetrates in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the camshaft, The first end of the through hole in the intersecting direction functions as the point of application when an external force that rotates the cam member is applied to the cam shaft. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the second end of the through hole opposite to the first end in the intersecting direction functions as a fulcrum when applying the external force to the cam shaft.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the external force is applied to the cam shaft by the insertion member inserted into the through hole, causing the cam member to rotate, and the relative position between the main frame and the hinge is adjusted by this rotation.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that the distance from the point of force application to the insertion member to the fulcrum is greater than the distance from the fulcrum to the point of application.

12. The door is equipped with an auxiliary member to assist in its rotation, The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the auxiliary member biases the main frame in the direction of opening the door.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the door includes a frame member and an exterior cover, and the second axial support member is attached to the frame member.

14. A stopper member, which includes a contact surface that abuts against the camshaft and is movably positioned on the hinge, The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a movement restricting member disposed on the door, which restricts the movement of the stopper member after it has been moved to a position where its abutment surface abuts against the cam shaft after the relative position has been adjusted;

Images