Supporting component, housing structure using the same, and article

Abstract

To achieve a stable support by preventing such a situation that a support component becomes an obstacle for a passage at the time of installing an article, and enable an evacuation of the support component in ease to an upper direction at the time of moving the article.SOLUTION: A support component for supporting a lower part of a housing 16 when installing an article 15 to an installation surface 18, comprises: a leg component 2 having an outside leg part 3 provided so as to be contacted to the installation surface 18 and extending so as to project outward from an outside surface of the housing 16 from a gap between the lower part of the housing 16 and the installation surface 18, an inside leg part 4 arranged on an upper side of the outside leg part 3 and extending into the inside of the outside surface of the housing 16, and a connection part 5 for connecting between the outside leg part 3 and the inside leg part 4 in the inside of the outside surface of the housing 16; elevation means 6 provided on the lower part of the housing 16 and supporting the inside leg part 4 of the leg component 2 so as to be elevatable; and operation means 10 provided so that a part is projected outward from an outside surface of the connection part 5 of the leg component 2, and operating an elevation operation of the elevation means 6. The present invention also relates to a housing structure using the support component 1, and the article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support component used for installing an article, a housing structure using the same, and an article.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, when installing various articles such as multifunctional machines, household appliances, and furniture, a support component for preventing the article from falling may be used. Conventionally, as this type of support component, for example, those described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are already known. Patent Document 1 discloses an anti-tipping device disposed on the bottom surface of a device having legs on the bottom surface facing the floor surface, the anti-tipping device having an anti-tipping member rotatably provided about a support shaft of the legs or a support shaft provided between the legs. Patent Document 2 discloses an anti-tipping mechanism provided in a base on which an image forming apparatus is mounted or an image forming apparatus component such as a paper feeding apparatus, the anti-tipping mechanism having an anti-tipping member provided on the lower surface of the base or the component so as to be storable. Patent Document 3 discloses an anti-tipping device having fixed legs that are mounted at positions farther from the floor surface than the mounting positions of the moving wheels at the four corners where the moving wheels are attached to the bottom surface of the device to be prevented from tipping, and the height of which can be adjusted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is, for a support component used for installing an article, to suppress a situation of obstructing passage and stably support the article during installation of the article, as compared with a case where the entire support component protrudes from the outer surface of the housing, and to enable the support component to be easily retracted upward when the article is moved.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] The invention according to claim 1 is a support component for supporting the lower part of a housing when installing an article on an installation surface, which is provided so as to be capable of contacting the installation surface, and has an outer leg portion extending outward from the outer surface of the housing so as to protrude outside from the gap between the lower part of the housing and the installation surface, an inner leg portion disposed above the outer leg portion and extending inside the outer surface of the housing, and a connecting portion connecting between the outer leg portion and the inner leg portion inside the outer surface of the housing; a lifting means provided at the lower part of the housing for supporting the inner leg portion of the leg component so as to be capable of lifting; and an operation means provided so that a part thereof protrudes outside from the outer surface of the connecting portion of the leg component for operating the lifting operation of the lifting means. The support component is characterized by comprising these components.

[0006] The invention according to claim 2 is the support component according to claim 1, wherein the outer leg portion is characterized in that the length dimension in the direction along the outer surface of the housing is longer than that of the inner leg portion. The invention according to claim 3 is the support component according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer leg portion is characterized in that the length dimension in the direction along the outer surface of the housing is equal to or greater than the horizontal dimension of the outer surface of the housing. The invention according to claim 4 is the support component according to claim 1, wherein the outer leg portion is characterized in that a plate-like elastic material is provided on its bottom surface. The invention according to claim 5 is the support component according to claim 1, wherein the leg component is characterized in that the outer leg portion, the inner leg portion, and the connecting portion are formed by bending a single metal plate material. The invention according to claim 6 is a support part according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of the leg part is greater than the thickness of the frame member constituting the housing. The invention according to claim 7 is a support part according to claim 6, wherein the connecting part has an opening through which a part of the operating means is exposed.

[0007] The invention according to claim 8 is a support part according to claim 1, wherein the elevating means has an elevating element that elevates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means, and the inner leg part is elevated following the elevating element. The invention according to claim 9 is a support part according to claim 8, wherein the elevating means has a biasing element that arranges the inner leg part on the lower surface of the elevating element and biases the inner leg part toward the elevating element side. The invention according to claim 10 is a support part according to claim 8, wherein the elevating means has a guiding element that elevates the elevating element while preventing it from rotating. The invention according to claim 11 is a support part according to claim 1, wherein the connecting part has an opening, and the operating means exists both outside and inside the connecting part across the opening. The invention according to claim 12 is a support part according to claim 11, wherein the operating means has an operating part and a shaft that rotates with the operation of the operating part, the shaft is inside the connecting part, the outer periphery of the operating part is outside the connecting part, and the operating means is rotated by operating the outer periphery of the operating part around the shaft. The invention according to claim 13 is a support part according to claim 12, wherein the shaft has a male thread part, the elevating means has a threaded hole into which the male thread part is screwed, and the elevating means has an elevating element that elevates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means.

[0008] The invention according to claim 14 is a housing structure characterized by comprising a housing and a support component according to any one of claims 1 to 13 provided at the lower part of the housing. The invention according to claim 15 is a housing structure according to the housing structure of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of casters movable at the lower part of the housing, wherein the support component is provided at a lower part of the housing different from the support points of the plurality of casters. The invention according to claim 16 is a housing structure according to the housing structure of claim 14 or 15, wherein the support component is symmetrically arranged with respect to the housing. The invention according to claim 17 is an article characterized by comprising the housing structure according to any one of claims 14 to 16 and various article elements mounted on the housing structure. The invention according to claim 18 is an article according to the article of claim 17, wherein an operation part for the article element is provided at an upper part of the housing, and the support component is provided facing a region other than a working region by a user to the operation part in the housing.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, with respect to the support component used when installing an article, compared with the case where the whole of the support component protrudes from the outer surface of the housing, when installing the article, a situation of obstructing passage can be suppressed and stable support can be achieved, and when moving the article, the support component can be easily retracted upward. According to the invention of claim 2, compared with the case where the outer leg part is equal to or less than the length dimension in the direction along the outer surface of the housing in the inner leg part, the installation area of the support component can be widened. According to the invention of claim 3, the installation area of the support component can be ensured over the entire horizontal dimension of the outer surface of the housing, and a tipping load or the like acting on the article can be effectively dispersed. According to the invention of claim 4, compared with the case of using an outer leg part without an elastic material, a situation of damaging the installation surface can be suppressed, and the contact state with the installation surface can be stabilized. According to the invention according to claim 5, a leg part can be easily constructed from a single metal plate material formed into a predetermined shape. According to the invention according to claim 6, compared with the case of using a metal plate material having the same thickness as the frame member constituting the housing, it is easier to ensure the strength as the leg part. According to the invention according to claim 7, interference between the operating means and the leg part can be effectively avoided. According to the invention according to claim 8, compared with the case of directly raising and lowering the inner leg, a lifting means can be constructed in a state separated from the leg part. According to the invention according to claim 9, compared with the case of not having a biasing element, the followability of the inner leg with respect to the lifting element can be made more stable. According to the invention according to claim 10, compared with the case of not having a guiding element, the lifting operation of the lifting element can be stabilized. According to the invention according to claim 11, compared with the case of not having an opening in the connecting portion of the leg part, interference between the operating means and the leg part can be effectively avoided, and the lifting operation of the lifting means can be easily operated. According to the invention according to claim 12, compared with the case of not having an opening in the connecting portion of the leg part, interference between the operating means and the leg part can be effectively avoided, and the lifting means can be lifted and lowered by a simple rotational operation of the operating means. According to the invention according to claim 13, when using an operating means rotatably provided at a fixed position, a lifting means can be easily constructed. According to the invention according to claim 14, for a support part used in installing an article, compared with the case where the entire support part protrudes from the outer surface of the housing, when installing the article, a situation that obstructs passage can be suppressed and it can be stably supported, and a housing structure can be provided that allows the support part to be easily retracted upward when the article is moved. According to the invention according to claim 15, in a mode using casters useful for moving an article, the casters and the support part can be easily incorporated. According to the invention according to claim 16, compared with the case of arranging the support parts asymmetrically, a more stable housing structure can be provided. According to the invention according to claim 17, for a support part used when installing an article, compared with the case where the whole of the support part protrudes from the outer surface of the housing, when installing the article, a situation of obstructing passage can be suppressed and stable support can be achieved, and an article having a housing structure that enables the support part to be easily retracted upward when the article is moved can be provided. According to the invention according to claim 18, the support part does not obstruct the work area of the user on the operation part, and the article can be stably supported.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] ◎ Outline of the Embodiment Fig. 1(a) shows an outline of an embodiment of an article having a housing structure including a support part to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, the article 15 has a housing structure including a housing 16 and a support part 1 provided at the lower part of the housing 16, and various article elements (not shown) are mounted on this housing structure. The article 15 here widely includes products such as a multifunction machine that combines functions of a copier, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, etc., and home appliances and furniture. In particular, it is effective for articles that are likely to be unstable, such as articles with a high center of gravity, and articles with a vertical housing having a high height dimension relative to a narrow installation area.

[0012] In this example, as shown in Figs. 1(a) to (c), the support part 1 supports the lower part of the housing 16 when the article 15 is installed on the installation surface. It is provided so as to be able to contact the installation surface 18, and has an outer leg part 3 that extends so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of the housing 16 from the gap between the lower part of the housing 16 and the installation surface 18, an inner leg part 4 that is arranged above the outer leg part 3 and extends inside the outer surface of the housing 16, and a connecting part 5 that connects between the outer leg part 3 and the inner leg part 4 inside the outer surface of the housing 16. It also has a lifting means 6 provided at the lower part of the housing 16 and supporting the inner leg part 4 of the leg part 2 so as to be able to move up and down, and an operating means 10 provided so that a part protrudes outward from the outer surface of the connecting part 5 of the leg part 2 and operates the lifting operation of the lifting means 6.

[0013] In such technical means, the housing structure widely includes those supported by the support component 1. From the perspective of improving the mobility of the article 15 during movement and transportation, as shown in Fig. 1(a), it is preferable that a plurality of movable casters 17 are provided at the lower part of the housing 16. Further, from the perspective of improving the workability of attaching the support component 1, it is preferable that the support component 1 is provided at the lower part of the housing 16 different from the support points of the plurality of casters 17. Furthermore, in a mode where an operation part (not shown) for an article element (not shown) is provided at the upper part of the housing 16, it is preferable that the support component 1 does not get in the way when the user operates the operation part. From this perspective, it is preferable that the support component 1 is provided facing an area outside the working area by the user to the operation part in the housing 16.

[0014] Also, the support component 1 may be for the purpose of stably installing the article 15, such as preventing the article 15 from tipping over, adjusting the height, and maintaining the level. Regarding the number of support components 1 installed, in the case of an article 15 whose center of gravity is, for example, offset to one side, one or a plurality of support components 1 may be provided on one side of the housing 16 on the side where the center of gravity is offset. To stably support the article 15, the support components 1 may be provided symmetrically with respect to the housing 16. Furthermore, as the leg component 2, based on the outer surface position of the housing 16, it may have an outer leg 3 that protrudes outward from the outer surface position of the housing 16 from the gap between the lower part of the housing 16 and the installation surface 18, and an inner leg 4 and a connecting part 5 arranged in the gap inside the outer surface position of the housing 16. Here, the outer leg portion 3 may be any that projects in a flat plate shape, but it may also have a bent portion or a stepped portion that is bent upward in part. Also, the inner leg portion 4 may be any that extends in a flat plate shape, but it may also have uneven portions or flange portions for enhancing surface rigidity in part. Furthermore, the connecting portion 5 may be any that connects the outer leg portion 3 and the inner leg portion 4, and its form may be a flat plate shape, or it may be appropriately redesigned, such as adding a reinforcing member to the flat plate shape to make it columnar. Moreover, the arrangement posture of the connecting portion 5 is not limited to the vertical direction and may be slightly inclined. Also, the boundary portions between the connecting portion 5 and the outer leg portion 3 and the inner leg portion 4 are connected in a bent or curved shape.

[0015] In this example, the outer surface of the housing 16 refers to the outer surface of the exterior material where there is an exterior material, and refers to the outer surface of the housing frame constituting the framework of the housing 16 where there is no exterior material. And in this example, by adopting a structure in which only the outer leg portion 3 projects from the outer surface of the housing 16, it becomes possible to suppress the occupation area in the vertical direction when viewed from the side of the support component 1 that projects from the outer surface of the housing 16. On the other hand, in a mode where the entire support component projects from the outer surface of the housing 16, there is a concern that the support component may obstruct passage. Also, in a mode where the entire support component is housed below the housing 16, although there is no concern that the support component may obstruct the through hole, in an article 15 having a vertical housing with a narrow installation area and a high height dimension, since the center of gravity position is high and the distance from the center of gravity position to the support component is short, the article 15 is likely to fall.

[0016] Also, as the lifting means 6, as long as it is something that lifts and lowers the inner leg portion 4, the lifting principle etc. can be appropriately selected. Here, the reason for making the inner leg portion 4 rather than the outer leg portion 3 the object related to the lifting element is that the inner leg portion 4 is located above the outer leg portion 3, and it is easy to effectively use the lower region of the inner leg portion 4 as the installation space for the lifting means 6. Furthermore, since the inner leg portion 4 can be arranged in a posture orthogonal to the moving direction of the lifting element compared to the connecting portion 5, it is effective for stabilizing the lifting operation. Furthermore, as the operating means 10, a rotational operation method is typical. Here, as the operating means 10, it may be an operation handle that can be rotationally operated at a fixed position with respect to the lifting direction, or it may be an operation handle that moves up and down together with the inner leg portion 4. Also, the operating means 10 is not limited to the rotational operation method, and for example, a lever operation method that can swing or move along a predetermined locus may be adopted.

[0017] Next, a representative embodiment or a preferred embodiment of the support part 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, as a preferred embodiment of the leg part 2, an embodiment in which the length dimension of the outer leg part 3 in the direction along the outer surface of the housing 16 is longer than that of the inner leg part 4 can be cited. The outer leg part 3 is a portion that contacts the installation surface 18, and from the viewpoint of stably supporting the article 15, it is effective in ensuring a wide installation area. In particular, as a preferred embodiment of the outer leg part 3, an embodiment in which the length dimension of the outer leg part 3 in the direction along the outer surface of the housing 16 is equal to or greater than the horizontal dimension of the outer surface of the housing 16 is preferable. In this example, it is an embodiment in which the installation area of the outer leg part 3 is ensured over the entire horizontal dimension of the outer surface of the housing 16, and even if the width dimension intersecting the length direction of the outer leg part 3 is narrowed, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the installation area of the outer leg part 3. Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment of the outer leg part 3, an embodiment in which a plate-like elastic material 3a is provided on the bottom surface thereof can be cited. This elastic material 3a is effective in ensuring the contact state between the bottom surface of the outer leg part 3 and the installation surface 18 by elastic deformation, and it may be provided continuously or intermittently along the length direction of the outer leg part 3.

[0018] Also, as another preferred embodiment of the leg part 2, an embodiment in which the outer leg part 3, the inner leg part 4, and the connecting part 5 are formed by bending a single metal plate material formed into a predetermined shape can be cited. Since the leg part 2 in this example has a shape in which the outer leg part 3 and the inner leg part 4 are three-dimensionally bent via the connecting part 5, it is possible to easily manufacture the leg part 2 by bending a single die-cut metal plate material. Here, as the leg part 2, a frame member having a thickness greater than that of the frame member constituting the housing 16 may be used for the leg part 2. For example, if the thickness of the frame member is 2 mm and the thickness of the leg part 2 is 4 mm, that would be fine. However, the thickness of the leg part 2 is not limited to a mode where it is greater than the thickness of the frame member of the housing 16. Of course, frame members of the same thickness may also be used. When using frame members of the same thickness in this way, the procurement of the leg part 2 becomes easier, and accordingly, it is possible to provide the leg part 2 at a lower cost. Furthermore, it is necessary for the operating means 10 to be arranged so as to partially protrude outside the outer surface of the connecting portion 5 of the leg part 2. Therefore, as a preferable layout where the operating means 10 and the connecting portion 5 do not interfere with each other, an example is a mode in which the connecting portion 5 has an opening through which a part of the operating means 10 is exposed.

[0019] Also, as a preferable mode of the elevating means 6, an example is a mode having an elevating element 7 that elevates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means 10 and elevates the inner leg part 4 following the elevating element 7. In this example, it is a method of indirectly elevating the inner leg part 4 via the elevating element 7. In a state separated from the leg part 2, an elevating means 6 including an elevating element 7 that operates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means 10 is configured, and when manufacturing the support part 1, the elevating means 6 and the leg part 2 may be assembled. In this aspect, as a preferable mode of the elevating means 6, an example is a mode having a biasing element 8 that arranges the inner leg part 4 on the lower surface of the elevating element 7 and biases the inner leg part 4 toward the elevating element 7 side. In this example, as the elevating element 7 rises, the biasing element 8 in a compression-deformed state extends to bias the inner leg part 4 toward the elevating element 7 side. As a result, the inner leg part 4 rises following the rise of the elevating element 7. In addition, in FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c), reference numeral 12 is a fixing bracket provided at the lower part of the housing 16 for incorporating the elevating means 6 and the operating means 10.

[0020] Furthermore, in this aspect, a preferred aspect of the elevating means 6 is an aspect having a guiding element (not shown) that elevates the elevating element 7 while preventing it from rotating. In this example, for instance, when the operating means 10 is of a rotational operation type, a rotational operation force from the operating means 10 acts on the elevating element 7. However, if the elevating element 7 rotates in conjunction with the operating means 10, the elevating element 7 will rotate freely and become unable to elevate. Therefore, in this example, the guiding element guides the elevating element 7 so that it can perform an elevating operation while being prevented from rotating. Also, as a preferred aspect of the operating means 10, there is an aspect in which the connecting portion 5 has an opening, and the operating means 10 exists both outside and inside the connecting portion 5 across the opening. As a representative aspect of this example, the operating means 10 has an operating portion and a shaft that rotates along with the operation of the operating portion. The shaft is inside the connecting portion 5, and the outer periphery of the operating portion is outside the connecting portion 5. There is an aspect in which the operating means 10 is rotated by operating the outer periphery of the operating portion around the shaft. Also, as a preferred aspect of the operating means 10, there is an aspect in which it is provided rotatably at a fixed position. As a method for implementing this example, for instance, the elevating means 6 may have a screw hole into which a male screw portion is screwed and an elevating element that elevates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means 10.

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. ◎Embodiment 1 FIG. 2(a) shows the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus as an article according to Embodiment 1. -Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus- In the same figure, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a device housing 21, a plurality of casters 22 provided at the four corners of the lower part of the device housing 21 for movably transporting the device housing 21, and a support component 23 for stably supporting the device housing 21 when installing the image forming apparatus 20. It has a housing structure, and various article elements are mounted on this housing structure so as to mount elements necessary for image formation.

[0022] In this example, the device housing 21 is configured in a vertically long substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. When the user operation side is the front side, it has a shape with a recess 21a near the top in one side surface (the right side surface in the figure) adjacent to the front side. Also, in this example, as elements necessary for image formation, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(b), an image forming engine 30 mounted in the upper region within the device housing 21 for forming an image on a medium S such as paper, a medium supply device 40 mounted in the lower region within the device housing 21 for supplying the medium S such as paper toward the image forming engine 30, a medium discharge receiver 50 provided using the recess 21a of the device housing 21 for discharging and accommodating the medium S on which an image has been formed by the image forming engine 30, a medium conveyance system 60 for conveying the medium S supplied from the medium supply device 40 through the image forming engine 30 to the medium discharge receiver 50, and an operation panel 70 provided on the top of the device housing 21 for performing operations necessary for image formation on a control device (not shown) that controls the image forming engine 30, the medium supply device 40, and the medium conveyance system 60.

[0023] In this example, as the image forming engine 30, for example, a plurality of image forming units 31 that form a plurality of color component images on a plurality of photoreceptors by an electrophotographic method, an intermediate transfer member 32 such as a belt-shaped one for primarily transferring and conveying the color component images of each image forming unit 31, a transfer device 33 for transferring the primary transfer image on the intermediate transfer member 32 to the medium S, and a fixing device 34 for fixing the image transferred onto the medium S are adopted, but it goes without saying that it is not limited to this. Also, in this example, the medium supply device 40 includes three medium supply parts, but the number, layout, etc. can be appropriately designed and changed, and if necessary, a manual type medium supply part may be added. Furthermore, the medium discharge receiver 50 can also be appropriately designed and changed according to the discharge position of the medium S, and for the medium conveyance system 60, although a conveyance method for forming an image on one side of the medium S is adopted in this example, for example, an image may be formed on both sides of the medium S by adding a duplex conveyance module.

[0024] -Overall Configuration of Support Parts- In this example, the center of gravity of the image forming apparatus 20 is located near the approximate center of the apparatus housing 21 in a plan view, and as shown in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), and 3, the support components 23 are symmetrically provided at the lower part of the side (corresponding to the side) adjacent to the front side (corresponding to the front side) of the apparatus housing 21. The basic configuration of the support component 23 includes a leg component 80 that contacts the installation surface 18 to support the apparatus housing 21, a lifting mechanism 100 provided at the lower part of the apparatus housing 21 as a lifting means for lifting the leg component 80, and an operation handle 130 as an operation means for operating the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism 100.

[0025] -Leg component- In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the leg component 80 is provided so as to be able to contact the installation surface 18, and includes an outer leg 81 that extends so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of the apparatus housing 21 from the gap between the lower part of the apparatus housing 21 and the installation surface 18, an inner leg 90 that is disposed above the outer leg 81 and extends inside the outer surface of the apparatus housing 21, and a connecting portion 95 that connects between the outer leg 81 and the inner leg 90 inside the outer surface of the apparatus housing 21. In this example, the leg component 80 is formed by bending a single metal plate material to form the outer leg 81, the inner leg 90, and the connecting portion 95. Here, as the metal plate material used as the leg component 80, any material having the rigidity required for supporting the image forming apparatus 20 can be appropriately selected. In this example, the thickness t1 of the leg component 80 (see FIG. 7(b)) is selected to be thicker than the thickness of the frame frame member 25 that constitutes the framework of the apparatus housing 21. Generally, the thickness of the frame frame member 25 is often a plate material such as SUS with a thickness of 2 mm or less, but in this example, as the leg component 80, a metal plate material with a thickness of, for example, 4 mm, which is thicker than the thickness of the frame frame member 25, is used.

[0026] <Outer leg> In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the outer leg portion 81 is formed of a long rectangular plate material extending along the direction along the outer surface on the side (side) of the apparatus housing 21. Its length dimension L1 is formed longer than that of the inner leg portion 90, and moreover, it is formed to be equal to or greater than (greater than L0 in this example) the horizontal length dimension L0 of the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21. Also, the width dimension W1 of the outer leg portion 81 protruding outward from the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21 is selected in consideration of the installation area including the leg component 80 with respect to the height of the apparatus housing 21 and based on the relationship with the length dimension L1 of the outer leg portion 81. Furthermore, in order not to damage the installation surface 18, a long rectangular elastic material 82 is attached to the back surface of the outer leg portion 81 so as not to protrude beyond the peripheral edge of the outer leg portion 81. Here, as the elastic material 82, although it depends on the weight of the image forming apparatus 20, assuming a certain degree of heavy weight, a hard elastic rubber (such as polon rubber, etc.) is used. Also, regarding the thickness of the elastic material 82, if it is too thick, there is a concern that the outer leg portion 81 may interfere with passage, so it is preferably selected to be around 2 mm.

[0027] <Inner leg portion> In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner leg portion 90 is formed of a rectangular plate material extending along the direction along the outer surface on the side (side) of the apparatus housing 21, has a length dimension L2 of about 1 / 3 of the horizontal length dimension L0 of the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21, and is arranged near the center in the front-rear direction of the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21. And in this example, although the width dimension W2 of the inner leg portion 90 extending inward from the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21 can be appropriately selected, in this example, it is slightly shorter than the width dimension W1 of the outer leg portion 81. Here, since the load applied to the image forming apparatus 20 is transmitted from the inner leg portion 90 to the leg component 80, if the size of the inner leg portion 90 is too small, a large load stress will act on the inner leg portion 90 and the connecting portion 95. Therefore, it is necessary to sufficiently ensure the rigidity of the inner leg portion 90 and the connecting portion 95. On the other hand, if the size of the inner leg portion 90 is appropriately selected in consideration of the surrounding component arrangement, it becomes possible to reduce the load stress acting on the inner leg portion 90 and the connecting portion 95, and accordingly, it becomes possible to facilitate the strength design of the inner leg portion 90 and the connecting portion 95.

[0028] <Connecting portion> In this example, the connecting portion 95 is formed of a rectangular plate member extending in a substantially vertical direction, has a length dimension similar to the length dimension L2 of the inner leg portion 90, and may be set to a value larger than the sum of the thickness of the operation handle 130 and the upward retraction amount of the leg component 80 during conveyance of the image forming apparatus 20 as the vertical dimension between the outer leg portion 81 and the inner leg portion 90. And in this example, the connecting portion 95 is continuous with a curved bent portion at the boundary with the outer leg portion 81 and the inner leg portion 90. In addition, a rectangular opening 96 through which a part of the operation handle 130 can be exposed is formed in the connecting portion 95, and consideration is given so that the leg component 80 and the operation handle 130 do not interfere with each other during the lifting and lowering operation of the leg component 80.

[0029] -Lifting mechanism, structure of the attached portion of the operation handle- In this example, the lifting mechanism 100 and the operation handle 130 are incorporated below the frame frame member 25 that constitutes the bottom of the apparatus housing 21. On the lower surface of the frame frame member 25 that constitutes the bottom of the apparatus housing 21, both end flange portions of a fixed bracket 101 having a substantially hat-shaped cross section are fixed via a stopper 104 such as a screw along the direction along the outer surface on the side of the apparatus housing 21 (corresponding to the front-rear direction of the apparatus housing 21), and are used for incorporating the lifting mechanism 100 and the operation handle 130. Here, the fixed bracket 101 is formed to have a size capable of accommodating the inner leg 90 of the leg part 80 in a non-contact state in its inner region, and forms bent flanges 103 that rise upward on both left and right edges in the lateral direction intersecting the front-rear direction of the device housing 21 of the rectangular bottom wall 102, so as to enhance the surface rigidity of the bottom wall 102 of the fixed bracket 101. In addition, in this example, in order to further enhance the rigidity of the bottom of the device housing 21 around the fixed bracket 101, a wide cross-sectional channel-shaped frame reinforcing frame member 26 is fixed by welding to the lower surface of the frame frame member 25 so as to surround the fixed bracket 101, and the outer surface of the bottom wall 102 of the fixed bracket 101 is arranged in contact with the inner surface of the bottom wall of the frame reinforcing frame member 26.

[0030] -Operation handle- In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the operation handle 130 has a disc-shaped handle body 131 integrally formed using, for example, a PC resin or an ABS resin. Concavo-convex portions 132 for anti-slip during rotation operation are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the handle body 131, and a columnar stepped portion 133 protruding in the thickness direction of the handle body 131 is formed at the center of one side surface of the handle body 131. At the same time, a bottomed pin insertion hole 134 for accommodating one end of a metal shaft pin 135 serving as the rotation center axis is formed on the side of the stepped portion 133 at the center of the handle body 131. The shaft pin 135 is inserted into this pin insertion hole 134, and one end portion of the shaft pin 135 is fixed to the bottom of the pin insertion hole 134 with a stopper 136 on the back side of the handle body 131. In addition, a male screw portion 113 is formed in the region near the tip of the shaft pin 135. And in this example, holding holes 137 into which the stepped portion 133 of the operation handle 130 can be inserted are provided in the bottom walls of the fixed bracket 101 and the frame reinforcing frame member 26. The operation handle 130 rotatably holds the stepped portion 133 in the holding hole 137 of the fixed bracket 101, arranges the shaft pin 135 in the fixed bracket 101, and as will be described later, by engaging the shaft pin 135 with the lifting mechanism 100, the handle body 131 is held so as to be rotatable at a fixed position on the lower surface of the frame reinforcing frame member 26. In this state, the handle body 131 of the operation handle 130 is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the apparatus housing 21 from the opening 96 formed in the connecting portion 95 of the leg part 80. Here, the protruding amount m (see FIG. 7) from the outer surface of the connecting portion 95 of the handle body 131 only needs to ensure good rotational operability with respect to the operation handle 130, and it may be appropriately selected within a range of about 5 to 10 mm (about 7 mm in the figure).

[0031] -Lifting mechanism- In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the lifting mechanism 100 has a lifting plate 105 as a lifting element that moves up and down in conjunction with the operation of the operation handle 130, and the inner leg part 90 is moved up and down following the lifting plate 105. Further, the lifting mechanism 100 has a biasing spring 120 (a coil spring is used in this example) as a biasing element that arranges the inner leg part 90 on the lower surface of the lifting plate 105 and biases the inner leg part 90 toward the lifting plate 105 side. Furthermore, the lifting mechanism 100 has a guide mechanism 125 as a guide element that guides the lifting plate 105 in a state where it is prevented from rotating and allows it to move up and down.

[0032] <Lifting plate> In this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the lifting plate 105 is made of a metal plate material such as SUS and has a substantially rectangular plate body 106 that is approximately the same size as the inner leg part 90 of the leg part 80. Bent flanges 107 that extend downward are formed at the peripheries of three sides on the back side in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction of the apparatus housing 21 of the plate body 106, and a burring process part 110 having a hole diameter into which the tip side of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130 can be inserted is formed at approximately the center of the plate body 106. The flanging process section 110 mentioned here forms a rising flange 111 that protrudes upward by performing flange processing around the hole after drilling the plate body 106. Further, an internal thread portion 112 is formed on the inner circumference of the rising flange 111. Note that when forming the internal thread portion 112, it may be performed simultaneously with the flange processing, or alternatively, it may be performed after the flange processing.

[0033] Also, an external thread portion 113 is formed in the region near the tip of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130, and the external thread portion 113 is arranged in a state of being screwed into the internal thread portion 112 of the flanging process section 110. In this example, the flanging process section 110 is formed on the lifting plate 105, but it is not limited to this. A through hole through which the external thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130 passes is opened, and a nut component is fixed so as to surround this through hole, and the external thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 may be screwed into the internal thread portion of the nut component. Also, in this example, the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 is arranged on the lower surface of the lifting plate 105, and a through hole 91 through which the external thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 can pass is opened at a position corresponding to the flanging process section 110 of the lifting plate 105 as shown in FIG. 6. Note that in this example, the lifting mechanism 100 uses the lifting plate 105. However, for example, it is also possible to form an internal thread portion in the through hole 91 of the inner leg portion 90 without using the lifting plate 105 and screw in the external thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135.

[0034] <Biasing Spring, Guide Mechanism> Also, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the guiding mechanism 125 fixes a pair of guiding pins 126 upwardly with a fastener 127 such as a screw at positions on the bottom wall of the fixed bracket 101 that are substantially symmetric with respect to the front-rear direction of the apparatus housing 21 with the holding hole 137 therebetween. Further, a pair of guiding holes 128 and 129 through which the pair of guiding pins 126 can pass are formed in the lifting plate 105 and the inner legs 90 of the leg parts 80. Although the fastener 127 is exposed on the outer surface of the bottom wall 102 of the fixed bracket 101, a relief hole 27 for avoiding interference with the fastener 127 is provided in the bottom wall of the frame reinforcing frame member 26. Therefore, in this example, the inner legs 90 of the lifting plate 105 and the leg parts 80 are guided so as to be able to move up and down along the guiding pins 126 in a state of being prevented from rotating by inserting the pair of guiding pins 126 into the pair of guiding holes 128 and 129. Also, in this example, a biasing spring 120 is wound around the pair of guiding pins 126, and this biasing spring 120 is interposed in a compressed state between the inner surface of the bottom wall 102 of the fixed bracket 101 and the lower surface of the inner legs 90 of the leg parts 80. For this reason, in this example, the biasing spring 120 biases the inner legs 90 of the leg parts 80 toward the lifting plate 105 side. Therefore, when the lifting plate 105 moves up and down, the inner legs 90 of the leg parts 80 move up and down following the lifting plate 105.

[0035] -Usage method of the support parts- <When installing the image forming apparatus> When installing the image forming apparatus 20, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the operation handle 130 of the support part 23 is rotated in an appropriate direction, and the leg parts 80 are lowered so that the outer legs 81 of the leg parts 80 contact the installation surface 18. In this example, when the operation handle 130 is rotated along the thread winding direction of the male thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135, the handle body 131 of the operation handle 130 rotates at a fixed position, and the male thread portion 113 is screwed into the female thread portion 112 of the burring portion 110. In this state, as the screwing operation of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130 progresses, the lifting plate 105 is pulled downward and descends against the biasing force of the biasing spring 120. Following the descent of this lifting plate 105, the inner leg portion 90 descends against the biasing force of the biasing spring 120.

[0036] At this time, a rotational moment M acts on the lifting plate 105 along with the rotational operation of the operation handle 130. However, since the lifting plate 105 is prevented from rotating by the guide mechanism 125 (guide pin 126, guide hole 128), it descends stably along the guide pin 126. Also, the rotational moment M from the operation handle 130 does not directly act on the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80. However, the rotational moment M acts indirectly from the contact portion between the two due to the press contact with the lifting plate 105. However, since the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 is prevented from rotating by the guide mechanism 125 (guide pin 126, guide hole 129), it descends stably along the guide pin 126.

[0037] Furthermore, in this example, the lifting plate 105 has a bent flange 107 along three sides of the plate body 106, and this bent flange 107 is disposed opposite in a state of approaching a vertical wall which is a part of the frame frame member 25 that constitutes both side walls of the fixed bracket 101 and the bottom of the device housing 21. For this reason, there is no concern that the posture of the lifting plate 105 will tilt during descent, and it descends while maintaining a substantially flat posture. Also, the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 is surrounded by the periphery by the bent flange 107 that surrounds three sides of the lifting plate 105, and the three sides of the inner leg portion 90 are disposed opposite in a state of approaching the bent flange 107 of the lifting plate 105. For this reason, there is no concern that the posture of the inner leg portion 90 will tilt during descent, and it descends while maintaining a substantially horizontal posture.

[0038] Also, when the leg component 80 is in contact with the installation surface 18, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7(a)(b), the outer leg 81 of the leg component 80 is arranged in contact with the installation surface 18 in a state of protruding outward from the outer surface of the apparatus housing 21. At this time, the thickness t of the outer leg 81 is the sum of the thickness t1 of the metal plate portion and the thickness t2 of the elastic material 82 on the back side. Since it can be suppressed to about 7 to 10 mm generally, there is little concern that the outer leg 81 will obstruct passage. Furthermore, in this example, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 9(a), the outer leg 81 has a length dimension L1 longer than the length dimension L0 in the front-rear direction of the apparatus housing 21 on both sides in the left-right direction of the apparatus housing 21. Therefore, assuming that a load in the falling direction acts on the image forming apparatus 20, this load is transmitted to the outer leg 81 via the inner leg 90 and the connecting portion 95. However, since the installation area of the outer leg 81 extends in a wide range in the front-rear direction with the center of gravity position of the image forming apparatus 20 interposed therebetween, the load is efficiently dispersed.

[0039] -During transportation of the image forming apparatus- When transporting the image forming apparatus 20, as shown in FIGS. 8(a)(b), the operation handle 130 of the support component 23 is rotated in an appropriate direction, and the leg component 80 is lifted so that the outer leg 81 of the leg component 80 is retracted upward from the installation surface 18. In this example, when the operation handle 130 is rotated along the direction opposite to the thread winding direction of the male thread portion 113 of the shaft pin 135, the handle body 131 of the operation handle 130 rotates at a fixed position, and the male thread portion 113 is screwed in the direction of coming out of the female thread portion 112 of the burring process portion 110. In this state, as the screwing operation of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130 progresses, the lifting plate 105 is pulled upward, and following the upward movement of the lifting plate 105, the inner leg 90 is biased toward the lifting plate 105 by the biasing force of the biasing spring 120 and rises.

[0040] In this example, the lifting range of the leg part 80 by the lifting mechanism 100 depends on the constraints of the place (the part to be attached) for accommodating the lifting mechanism 100 and the operation handle 130, and the maximum floating amount h of the outer leg part 81 of the leg part 80 is determined by the lifting range by the lifting mechanism 100. Generally, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7(a) for example, the caster 22 is configured such that a wheel holder 151 is rotatably provided on a mounting plate 150 fixed to the four corners of a frame member 25 that constitutes the bottom of the apparatus housing 21, and an axle 153 of a wheel 152 is rotatably held by the wheel holder 151. When transporting the image forming apparatus 20 with such a caster 22, from the viewpoint of maximizing the transportability by the caster 22, it is preferable that the maximum floating amount h of the leg part 80 exceeds the height from the installation surface 18 to the center of the wheel 152 of the caster 22 (corresponding to the center of the caster diameter). If the maximum floating amount h of the leg part 80 cannot be sufficiently ensured, there is an obstacle (not shown) on the installation surface 18, and if the height dimension of the obstacle is equal to or less than the caster diameter, the caster 22 can overcome the obstacle. However, there is a concern that the leg part 80 with a small maximum floating amount h may hit the obstacle, impairing the transportability of the image forming apparatus 20 by the caster 22. Note that the anti-rotation operation of the lifting plate 105 and the inner leg part 90 of the leg part 80, as well as the operation for suppressing the inclination of the posture, are substantially the same as when the image forming apparatus 20 is installed.

[0041] As described above, the support parts according to Embodiment 1 have been explained, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may be appropriately changed to the modes shown in the following Modification Forms 1 to 3. ◎Modification Form 1 The support part 23 shown in FIG. 9(b) is provided on both the left and right sides of the apparatus housing 21 in substantially the same manner as in Embodiment 1, and the outer leg part 81 extends along the front-rear direction of the apparatus housing 21. However, the length dimension L1 and the shape of the outer leg part 81 are different from those in Embodiment 1. Note that the same components as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted here. In this example, the outer leg portion 81 has a length dimension L1 similar to the length dimension L0 in the front-rear direction along the outer surfaces on both the left and right sides of the device housing 21. Further, in the vicinity of the inner leg portion 90 and the connecting portion 95, a notch 83 is formed in a part of one side edge so that the width dimension becomes narrower than other parts. In addition, in the aspect of providing the support components 23 on both the left and right sides of the device housing 21, the outer leg portion 81 of the first embodiment may be provided with a recessed portion that wraps around to the front side or the rear side (rear side) of the device housing 21 at the four corners of the device housing 21.

[0042] ◎ Modification form 2 The support component 23 shown in FIG. 9(c) is provided at the four corners on both the left and right sides of the device housing 21, different from the first embodiment. At the four corners of the bottom of the device housing 21, the inner leg portion 90 is supported so as to be able to move up and down at a location different from the caster 22 of the device housing 21, and the outer leg portion 81 is projected outward from the outer surface of the device housing 21 via the connecting portion 95. According to this example, four-point support is also realized for the support component 23.

[0043] ◎ Modification form 3 FIG. 10 shows the main part of the support component according to the modification form 3. In this example, the support component 23 is provided with a lifting mechanism 100 in which the operation handle 130 moves up and down together with the lifting plate 105. In this example, the basic configuration of the support component 23 is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. However, different from the first embodiment, an operation handle 130 is arranged within the fixed bracket 101, a burring portion 110 is formed on the frame frame member 25 that constitutes the bottom of the device housing 21, and the male screw portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 of the operation handle 130 is screwed into this burring portion 110. Further, a through hole 115 through which the shaft pin 135 passes is provided in the lifting plate 105 instead of the burring portion 110. Furthermore, a stopper ring 140 is inserted into portions other than the stepped portion 133 of the operation handle 130 and the male screw portion 113 of the shaft pin 135, and the stepped portion 133 and the stopper ring 140 are used to sandwich the lifting plate 105 and the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80. Note that the biasing spring 120 and the guide mechanism 125 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0044] According to this example, when the operation handle 130 is rotated in an appropriate direction, the male screw portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 is screwed into the burring portion 110 of the frame frame member 25. At this time, assuming that the shaft pin 135 is drawn into the burring portion 110 by the screwing operation of the shaft pin 135, the stopper ring 140 of the shaft pin 135 moves upward, and the operation handle 130 also rises as the shaft pin 135 moves. For this reason, the lifting plate 105 and the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 rise due to the rising of the operation handle 130 and the biasing force of the biasing spring 120. On the other hand, when the operation handle 130 is rotated in the reverse direction, the male screw portion 113 of the shaft pin 135 is screwed in the direction (downward) of being pulled out from the burring portion 110. At this time, assuming that the shaft pin 135 is pulled out from the burring portion 110 by the screwing operation of the shaft pin 135, the stopper ring 140 of the shaft pin 135 moves downward, and the operation handle 130 also moves downward as the shaft pin 135 moves. For this reason, the lifting plate 105 and the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 descend against the descending of the operation handle 130 and the biasing force of the biasing spring 120. In this way, in this example, the lifting plate 105 and the operation handle 130 rise and fall with the rotation operation of the operation handle 130, and accordingly, the inner leg portion 90 of the leg component 80 rises and falls.

[0045] ◎ Comparative form 1 FIG. 11(a) shows a support part 23' according to the comparative form 1. In this figure, the support part 23' is provided at the bottom of the device housing 21, and is arranged in a state of protruding entirely outward from the outer surface of the device housing 21. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), the support part 23' includes an adjuster foot 200 as a leg part for height adjustment and a receiving part 210 for receiving and supporting the adjuster foot 200. Here, the adjuster foot 200 forms a male screw part (not shown) over substantially the entire region of a rod 201 extending in the height direction, and a pedestal part 202 having an outer diameter larger than that of the male screw part of the rod 201 is provided at the lower end of the rod 201. In this example, the rod 201 can be appropriately selected from materials with high bending strength and excellent screw machining properties. For example, a SUM material with better screw machining properties than steel materials is used. Further, the receiving part 210 attaches a support bracket to a frame member (not shown) constituting the bottom of the device housing 21, provides a through hole through which the male screw part of the rod 201 passes in the support bracket, fixes a nut into which the male screw part is screwed, and screws the male screw part of the rod 201 into the female screw part of the nut. Note that since the receiving part 210 in this example has a structure in which a support bracket is attached to a part of the frame member, in order to maintain the appearance quality, the periphery of the receiving part 210 is covered with a blind cover 211 separately from the exterior cover of the device housing 21. According to this example, it is possible to raise and lower the adjuster foot 200 by rotating the pedestal part 202 of the adjuster foot 200. However, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the support part 23' protrudes entirely with a height z (about 100 mm) and an overhang amount d (about 50 mm) from the outer surface of the device housing 21. Therefore, not only is the support part 23' likely to be in the way during passage, but also when installing the support part 23', it is necessary to temporarily remove the blind cover 211, and there is a concern that the workability of installing the support part 23' will be impaired.

Description of Symbols

[0046] 1...Support component, 2...Leg component, 3...Outer leg, 3a...Elastic material, 4...Inner leg, 5...Connecting part, 6...Lifting means, 7...Lifting element, 8...Biasing element, 10...Operating means, 12...Fixed bracket, 15...Article, 16...Housing, 17...Caster, 18...Installation surface

Claims

1. A support part for supporting the lower part of a housing when installing an article on an installation surface, a leg part having an outer leg portion provided so as to be in contact with the installation surface and extending outward from the outer surface of the housing so as to protrude outward from the gap between the lower part of the housing and the installation surface, an inner leg portion disposed above the outer leg portion and extending inside the outer surface of the housing, and a connecting portion connecting between the outer leg portion and the inner leg portion inside the outer surface of the housing; a lifting means provided at the lower part of the housing for supporting the inner leg portion of the leg part in a vertically movable manner; an operating means provided so that a part thereof protrudes outward from the outer surface of the connecting portion of the leg part for operating the lifting operation of the lifting means; The support part is characterized by comprising the above.

2. In the support part according to Claim 1, the support part is characterized in that the outer leg portion has a length dimension in a direction along the outer surface of the housing that is longer than that of the inner leg portion.

3. In the support part according to Claim 1 or 2, the support part is characterized in that the outer leg portion has a length dimension in a direction along the outer surface of the housing that is equal to or greater than the horizontal dimension of the outer surface of the housing.

4. In the support part according to Claim 1, the support part is characterized in that the outer leg portion has a plate-like elastic material on its bottom surface.

5. In the support part according to Claim 1, the support part is characterized in that the leg part is formed by bending a single metal plate material to form the outer leg portion, the inner leg portion, and the connecting portion.

6. In the support part according to Claim 5, the support part is characterized in that the thickness of the leg part is thicker than the thickness of the frame member constituting the housing.

7. In the support part according to Claim 6, the support part is characterized in that the connecting portion has an opening through which a part of the operating means is exposed.

8. In the support part according to Claim 1, the support part is characterized in that the lifting means has a lifting element that moves up and down in conjunction with the operation of the operating means, and the inner leg portion is moved up and down following the lifting element.

9. In the support part according to Claim 8, the support part is characterized in that the lifting means has a biasing element that disposes the inner leg portion on the lower surface of the lifting element and biases the inner leg portion toward the lifting element side.

10. In the support part according to Claim 8, the support part is characterized in that the lifting means has a guiding element for moving the lifting element up and down while preventing it from rotating.

11. In the support component according to claim 1, the connecting portion has an opening, the operating means is present both outside and inside the connecting portion across the opening, and the support component is characterized thereby.

12. In the support component according to claim 11, the operating means has an operating portion and a shaft that rotates as the operating portion is operated, the shaft is inside the connecting portion, the outer periphery of the operating portion is outside the connecting portion, and the operating means is rotated by operating the outer periphery of the operating portion about the shaft, and the support component is characterized thereby.

13. In the support component according to claim 12, the shaft has a male screw portion, the elevating means has a screw hole into which the male screw portion is screwed and an elevating element that elevates in conjunction with the operation of the operating means, and the support component is characterized thereby.

14. A housing, the support component according to any one of claims 1 to 13 provided at a lower portion of the housing, and a housing structure characterized by comprising the same.

15. In the housing structure according to claim 14, a plurality of casters movable are provided at a lower portion of the housing, the support component is provided at a lower portion of the housing different from the support points of the plurality of casters, and the housing structure is characterized thereby.

16. In the housing structure according to claim 14 or 15, the support component is symmetrically arranged with respect to the housing, and the housing structure is characterized thereby.

17. A housing structure according to any one of claims 14 to 16, and various article elements mounted on the housing structure, and an article characterized by comprising the same.

18. In the article according to claim 17, an operating portion for the article elements is provided at an upper portion of the housing, the support component is provided facing a region of the housing other than the working region by the user to the operating portion, and the article is characterized thereby.

Images