Image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can improve the workability of an operator when routing a cable on an electrical substrate during assembly of the image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A cable 62 connecting a main control substrate and an operation unit substrate is held by a cable holder 35, and the cable holder 35 holding the cable 62 is attached to an ejection tray 51. Since the cable holder 35 is attached such that one face opening to allow fitting of the cable 62 is directed to the ejection tray 51, one face with the opening is closed by the ejection tray 51. Since the cable 62 is surrounded by a cable holding part 351 and the ejection tray 51 in this way and does not protrude from the cable holding part 351, when an exterior cover part is attached to a housing part, the cable 62 is not put between the exterior cover part and components provided on the housing part. Thus, the workability of an operator when routing a cable on an electrical substrate can be improved during assembly of an image forming apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming devices such as printers, copiers, facsimiles, and multifunction peripherals are equipped with various electrical boards, such as a drive board that drives the motor, a power supply board that applies voltage to various devices, and a main control board that controls these boards and performs various control processes related to the image forming operation. These electrical boards are electrically connected by cables, and therefore many cables are routed inside the housing.

[0003] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus equipped with a cable holder for holding a cable has been proposed with the aim of eliminating the hassle of routing cables during assembly (Patent Document 1). The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 uses a cable holder having a holding groove into which the cable is fitted and held. In the case of the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when assembling the image forming apparatus, the cable holder is attached to the housing with the opening side of the holding groove into which the cable is fitted facing inside the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-78343 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the device described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a holding claw is provided in the holding groove to prevent the cable from coming loose. However, in some cases, the cable may protrude from the holding groove, which requires the worker to attach the cable holder carefully so as not to pinch the cable, which is time-consuming and takes time to assemble the image forming device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can improve the workability of a worker in routing cables to an electrical board when assembling the image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: Note an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material; The device has at least an exterior cover portion that forms an upper surface in the vertical direction, a housing portion that houses the image forming unit; and a discharge portion that discharges, from inside the housing portion, a recording material on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit. ,before a first electrical board disposed on one side of the center in a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material by the discharge portion in the housing portion; a second electrical board disposed on the other side of the center in the width direction in the housing portion; a cable electrically connecting the first electrical board and the second electrical board; and a cable holder provided on a lower surface of the exterior cover portion, holding the cable and fixed to the exterior cover portion. and, Equipped with It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the workability of a worker in routing cables to an electrical board when assembling an image forming apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a laser light source section of the exposure unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the image forming apparatus as viewed from the front. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the discharge tray as viewed from the opposite side of the electrical board and the loading surface. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing a cable holder attached to the discharge tray. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a cable path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] <Image forming device> The present embodiment will be described below. First, an overview of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is broadly divided into a housing 1A, an exterior cover 85, and an operation unit 4. The exterior cover 85 is provided on the top surface of the housing 1A in the up-down direction (vertical direction), and the exterior cover 85 has a discharge opening 5 formed therein as a space for discharging recording materials from within the housing 1A. In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a top-discharge type apparatus. A discharge tray 51 is disposed in the discharge opening 5 as a stacking section for stacking recording materials discharged from within the housing 1A (inside the housing). In the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, recording materials on which an image has been formed are discharged from within the housing 1A to the discharge tray 51 in a discharge direction from the back side (rear) toward the front side (front).

[0011] In this specification, the side on which a user who operates the image forming apparatus 1 stands when operating the operation unit 4 is referred to as the "front (or front)," the opposite side as the "back (or rear)," the right side as viewed from the front as the "right," and the left side as viewed from the front as the "left." In addition, the upper side as viewed from the front as the "top," and the lower side as viewed from the front as the "bottom."

[0012] The housing 1A is composed of, for example, a left side plate 17 and a right side plate 18 (see FIG. 4 described later) that are provided on the left and right sides and support each unit, and a plurality of metal plates such as stays that connect the left side plate 17 and the right side plate 18. The exterior cover 85 is attached to the housing 1A so as to be supported by the left side plate 17 and the right side plate 18, and forms the upper surface (top surface) of the housing 1A. The operation unit 4 is disposed on the exterior cover 85.

[0013] The outer periphery of the housing 1A is covered by an exterior cover that forms the exterior of the image forming apparatus 1. The housing 1A has a front cover 81 and a cassette cover 84 on the front side as exterior covers. As shown in the figure, the front cover 81 is disposed above the cassette cover 84 in the up-down direction. The front cover 81 is detachably attached to the housing 1A, and the cassette cover 84 is attached to a cassette 40 (see FIG. 2) described below and is provided so that it can be pulled out from the housing 1A toward the front together with the cassette 40. Furthermore, the housing 1A has side covers 82 that cover the left and right sides, respectively, and a rear cover 83 that covers the rear as exterior covers. The exterior cover portion 85, the other exterior covers, and the discharge tray 51 are made of resin.

[0014] Next, the configuration for image formation in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an electrophotographic full-color printer equipped with image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) along an intermediate transfer belt 15. The image forming apparatus 1 receives image information from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer, and forms a toner image on a recording material P based on the received image information. Examples of the recording material P include various types of sheet materials such as plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, textured paper, coated paper, plastic film, and cloth.

[0015] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an intermediate transfer unit 60 is provided below the image forming stations Pa to Pd. The intermediate transfer unit 60 is configured such that an endless intermediate transfer belt 15 is wound around a plurality of rollers (31, 32, 33) and moves in the direction of arrow R1. An outer secondary transfer roller 16 is provided at a position opposite the roller 31 that winds the intermediate transfer belt 15, with the intermediate transfer belt 15 sandwiched therebetween, forming a secondary transfer portion N2 that transfers a toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 15 to a recording material P. The secondary transfer portion N2 is a transfer nip formed by the roller 31 and the outer secondary transfer roller 16, and the toner image is secondarily transferred onto the recording material P, for example, in response to a secondary transfer voltage being applied to the outer secondary transfer roller 16 by a power source (not shown).

[0016] The following describes a process for forming, for example, a four-color full-color image using the image forming apparatus 1. However, the four image forming units Pa to Pd provided in the image forming apparatus 1 have substantially the same configuration except for the different developing colors. Therefore, the black image forming unit Pd will be described as a representative, and descriptions of the other image forming units Pa to Pc will be omitted.

[0017] The image forming station Pd has a photosensitive drum 10d as a photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 10d is rotated in the direction of arrow R2 by a drum drive motor (not shown). Around the photosensitive drum 10d, a charging device 11d, a developing device 12d, a primary transfer roller 14d, and a cleaning device 13d are provided.

[0018] When the image forming operation starts, first, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 10d is uniformly charged by the charging device 11d. Next, the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 10d is exposed to laser light Ld corresponding to an image signal emitted from the exposure unit 2. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the photosensitive drum 10d. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 10d is developed into a toner image by a developer contained in the developing device 12d. In this embodiment, one exposure unit 2 is provided above the image forming stations Pa to Pd, and only this one exposure unit 2 exposes the multiple photosensitive drums 10a to 10d. In other words, one exposure unit 2 is shared by the multiple image forming stations Pa to Pd for exposure.

[0019] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 10d is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15 at a primary transfer portion N1d formed between primary transfer rollers 14d arranged on either side of the intermediate transfer belt 15. At this time, a primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 14d from a power source (not shown). The intermediate transfer belt 15 carries and transports the toner image transferred from the photosensitive drum 10d. Note that any toner or other deposits remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10d after the primary transfer are removed by a cleaning device 13d.

[0020] Such operations are performed sequentially at the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming units Pa to Pd, and the four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 15. Thereafter, the recording material P stored in the cassette 40 is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit N2 in accordance with the timing of the toner image formation.

[0021] The cassette 40 is provided below the housing 1A and can store a large number of recording materials P. A feeding roller 901 feeds the recording materials P one by one from the cassette 40 toward a registration roller 902. The registration roller 902 corrects skew of the recording material P and transports the recording material P to a secondary transfer portion N2 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15. Then, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is secondarily transferred onto the recording material P in response to a secondary transfer voltage being applied to the outer secondary transfer roller 16 by a high-voltage power supply (not shown).

[0022] The recording material P onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred is transported to the fixing device 50. The fixing device 50 applies heat and pressure to the recording material P while transporting it, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material P. The recording material P onto which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 50 is transported upward (i.e., vertical transport), and is discharged from the inside of the housing 1A to the outside toward the front by the discharge section 70, and is then stacked on the discharge tray 51 (see FIG. 1). The discharge section 70 has a first roller 71 and a second roller 72, and the first roller 71 and the second roller 72 come into contact with each other to form a discharge nip N3 capable of nipping and transporting the recording material P.

[0023] In this embodiment, the image forming units Pa to Pd, the intermediate transfer unit 60, the outer secondary transfer roller 16, etc. constitute an image forming unit 300 that forms a toner image on the recording material P. The exposure unit 2, the image forming unit 300, the fixing device 50, the feed roller 901, the registration roller 902, the discharge unit 70, and the cassette 40 are housed in the housing 1A (see FIG. 1).

[0024] <Exposure unit> Next, the exposure unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The exposure unit 2 irradiates the surfaces of the charged photosensitive drums 10a to 10d with laser beams La to Ld based on image information to form electrostatic latent images. As shown in FIG. 2, the exposure unit 2 has a rotary polygon mirror 21, first imaging optical elements 22ab and 22cd, reflecting mirrors 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 24b, and 24c, and second imaging optical elements 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d. The rotary polygon mirror 21 is rotated by a motor (not shown) to deflect and scan the laser beam emitted from a laser light source unit 200 (see FIG. 3). The first imaging optical elements 22ab and 22cd, the reflecting mirrors 23a to 23d, 24b, and 24c, and the second imaging optical elements 25a to 25d guide the laser light polarized and scanned by the rotating polygon mirror 21 onto the photosensitive drums 10a to 10d, respectively, to form images.

[0025] 3, the laser light source unit 200 has semiconductor lasers (single-beam lasers) 27a and 27b that emit light, and a laser holder 26 that holds the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b by press-fitting them into lens-barrel holding units 26a and 26b. The lens-barrel holding units 26a and 26b have portions of their lens-barrel outer shapes integrated together so that the optical paths of the light emitted from the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b can be arranged with their optical axes tilted so that they intersect with each other at a predetermined angle θ in the sub-scanning direction near the rotating polygon mirror 21. In other words, the laser holder 26 holds the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b in close proximity to each other.

[0026] The distal ends of the lens barrel holders 26a and 26b are provided with apertures 26c and 26d corresponding to the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b, respectively. The apertures 26c and 26d shape the light emitted from the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b into beams. At the distal ends of the lens barrel holders 26a and 26b, collimator lenses 28a and 28b are fixed to adhesive portions 26e and 26f, two of which are provided in the main scanning direction, to convert the light passing through the apertures 26c and 26d into substantially parallel laser beams. The positions of the collimator lenses 28a and 28b are determined by detecting the optical characteristics of the laser light and adjusting the irradiation position and focus. Once the positions of the collimator lenses 28a and 28b are determined, they are adhesively fixed to the adhesive portions 26e and 26f by, for example, applying ultraviolet light to an ultraviolet-curing adhesive.

[0027] The light emitted from the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b is shaped into beam-like laser light by collimator lenses 28a and 28b, and then focused as an approximately linear image (a linear image longitudinal in the main scanning direction) on the deflection surface of the rotating polygon mirror 21 by a cylindrical lens (not shown) that has a predetermined refractive power only in the sub-scanning direction.

[0028] In the laser light source section 200 shown in Fig. 3, the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b are light sources for generating laser beams La and Lb (see Fig. 2) that expose the photosensitive drums 10a and 10b. Although not shown, the laser light source section 200 has two semiconductor lasers as light sources for generating laser beams Lc and Ld that expose the photosensitive drums 10c and 10d, in addition to the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b. In order to convert the beams emitted from these semiconductor lasers into laser beams, the laser light source section 200 has the above-mentioned diaphragm section and collimator lens, similar to the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b.

[0029] The above-mentioned multiple semiconductor lasers are electrically connected to a laser substrate 20 (see FIG. 4 described later), and light emission is turned on and off and the amount of light is adjusted according to voltage control by the laser substrate 20. That is, each semiconductor laser receives power supply from a power source (not shown) via the laser substrate 20 and emits light, and laser light individually modulated according to image information for each color (YMCK) is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum.

[0030] 1, an operation unit 4 that can be operated by a user to operate the image forming apparatus 1 is provided in the housing 1A so as to face the front. The operation unit 4 has a large display 41 (for example, a 3- to 6-inch LCD monitor) for improved visibility for the user, and an input unit 42 with enlarged buttons, switches, etc. for improved operability for the user.

[0031] The operation unit 4 is provided in the housing 1A so that the angle can be adjusted up and down around the left-right axis (the width direction intersecting the vertical direction and the discharge direction of the recording material P) to change the orientation of the display surface of the display 41. The operation unit 4 is provided so that it can be rotated to any angle (e.g., 0° to 40°) relative to the horizontal direction to accommodate the eye height of a wide range of users, from tall users to users sitting in wheelchairs. FIG. 1 shows the operation unit 4 rotated to its maximum angle and in an upright position. The user can grasp and rotate the operation unit 4 to adjust it to any angle within the range from the minimum angle of 0° to the maximum angle of 40° to match the eye height. To enable this, the operation unit 4 is supported by an angle-adjustable support 90.

[0032] The support unit 90 supports the operation unit 4 so that the display surface of the display 41 can rotate up and down between a first position (substantially horizontal position) where the display surface of the display 41 is at the minimum tilt angle relative to the horizontal direction and a second position (vertical position) where the display surface is at the maximum tilt angle relative to the horizontal direction, by using the rotation holding unit 92. In this specification, the term "substantially horizontal position" also refers to a state in which the operation unit 4 is tilted substantially at "0°±5°" with the horizontal direction at "0°" as the reference. Note that the operation unit 4 may be fixed (i.e., immobile) in the substantially horizontal position or the vertical position.

[0033] The image forming apparatus 1 includes various electrical boards such as the laser board 20, the operation unit board 61, and the main control board 65. The electrical boards are boards on which, for example, a CPU, memory, electronic components, electrical components, connectors, etc. are mounted. In addition to the above, other electrical boards include, for example, a drive board that drives a motor and a power supply board that applies voltage to various devices. These electrical boards are electrically connected by cables. In this specification, a cable includes not only a single signal line but also a bundle of multiple signal lines.

[0034] In this embodiment, the operation unit 4 is electrically connected to the main control board 65 via an operation unit board 61 (see FIG. 4 described later). The operation unit 4 is, for example, an operation panel or a touch panel that allows a user to input instructions to execute various programs such as an image forming job, various data, etc. The operation unit board 61 is an electrical board that causes the operation unit 4 to operate as a touch panel or the like.

[0035] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 4 is disposed on the exterior cover 85 via a support 90, and an operation unit board 61 (see FIG. 4) is provided on the operation unit 4. The operation unit board 61 needs to be electrically connected to a main control board 65 disposed in the housing 1A. The main control board 65 is an electrical board for performing various controls related to the image forming operation, and can perform controls such as displaying various screens as a user interface on the display 41 to allow the user to input, for example, instructions to execute various programs and various data regarding the operation unit 4. The operation unit board 61, which serves as a first electrical board, is disposed on one side (here, the right side) of the center in the left-right direction (width direction) in the housing 1A, and the main control board 65, which serves as a second electrical board, is disposed on the other side (here, the left side) of the center in the left-right direction in the housing 1A.

[0036] Incidentally, when assembling image forming apparatus 1, in order to electrically connect the various electrical boards described above, the worker performing the assembly must properly route cables within housing 1A. When boards such as operation unit board 61 and main control board 65 are arranged on one side and the other side of housing 1A, the cables connecting these boards are routed across housing 1A from one side to the other. In this case, if the worker does not hold the cables when attaching exterior cover 85 to housing 1A, there is a risk that the cables will be pinched between exterior cover 85 and components provided in housing 1A.

[0037] Therefore, in this embodiment, a cable holder is used to prevent the cable from being pinched when an operator attaches the exterior cover part 85 to the housing part 1A. Hereinafter, the cable holder of this embodiment and the routing of the cable using the cable holder will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 to 7.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4 , the housing 1A supports, for example, the exposure unit 2, the photosensitive drum 10, the intermediate transfer unit 60, and the like, by a left side plate 17 and a right side plate 18 made of metal sheet metal. The exposure unit 2 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 10, and the photosensitive drum 10 is disposed above the intermediate transfer unit 60 in the vertical direction. A main control board 65 is attached to the left side plate 17. The operation unit 4 is disposed on the upper right side of the image forming apparatus 1, and an operation unit board 61 of the operation unit 4 is electrically connected to the main control board 65 by a cable 62. In this embodiment, the operation unit board 61 is disposed outside the first end 511 of the discharge tray 51 in the horizontal direction, and the main control board 65 is disposed outside the second end 512 opposite the first end 511 of the discharge tray 51. Furthermore, the operation unit board 61 is disposed above the cable holder 35, and the main control board 65 is disposed below the operation unit board 61 in the vertical direction.

[0039] The laser board 20, which serves as a third electrical board, is electrically connected to the main control board 65 by a flat cable 29, which serves as an exposure cable. The laser board 20 is an electrical board for controlling the on / off of light emission and light intensity adjustment of the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b (see FIG. 3). The laser board 20 receives a video signal, which is image information for causing the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b to emit light, from the main control board 65, thereby operating a laser drive circuit (not shown) to cause the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b to irradiate laser light (L). The laser board 20 is disposed below the cable holder 35 in the vertical direction.

[0040] As described above, the flat cable 29 connects the main control board 65 and the laser board 20 to transmit video signals, but the video signals are susceptible to noise from outside the cable. If the video signals are affected by noise, there is a risk that the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum by the laser light will not be performed properly. In this embodiment, if the cable 62 connecting the main control board 65 and the operation unit board 61 is routed so as to pass near the flat cable 29, the signal transmitted through the cable 62 will contribute as noise, and the video signals will be easily affected.

[0041] In this embodiment, the flat cable 29 is routed from the laser board 20 along the left side plate 17 to the front side and connected to the main control board 65, while the cable 62 is routed from the cable holder 35 to the upper side of the left side plate 17 and connected to the main control board 65. In other words, the flat cable 29 is routed below the cable holder 35 in the vertical direction from the laser board 20 to the main control board 65. When the cable 62 is disposed above the exposure unit 2, as in this embodiment, routing the cable 62 and the flat cable 29 at a distance without crossing each other is preferable because the video signal transmitted through the flat cable 29 is less susceptible to the effects of noise.

[0042] <Cable holder> The cable 62 connecting the main control board 65 and the operation unit board 61 is held by a resin cable holder 35 and routed transversely from one side to the other inside the housing 1A. The cable holder 35 is attached to the underside of the exterior cover 85 while holding the cable 62, before the exterior cover 85 is attached to the housing 1A. That is, when assembling the image forming apparatus 1, the worker first holds the cable 62 in the cable holder 35. Next, the worker attaches the cable holder 35, holding the cable 62, to the exterior cover 85. Then, the worker attaches the exterior cover 85 with the cable holder 35 attached to the housing 1A. In this way, the cable holder 35 is disposed between the exterior cover 85 and the exposure unit 2 in the vertical direction.

[0043] 5, the cable holder 35 holding the cable 62 is attached to the surface (underside) of the discharge tray 51, which is part of the exterior cover portion 85, opposite to the loading surface on which the recording material P is loaded. By attaching the cable holder 35 to the discharge tray 51, the cable path from the main control board 65 to the operation unit board 61 can be shortened, and therefore the length of the cable 62 can be shortened.

[0044] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the cable holder 35. Fig. 6 shows the cable holder 35 as seen from one side with an opening into which the cable 62 can be fitted. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the cable holder 35 attached to the discharge tray 51.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, the cable holder 35 has a cable holding portion 351 with a concave cross section that is open on one side (the front side in the drawing) so that the cable 62 can be fitted in. The cable 62 is fitted into the cable holder 35 from the open side and held by the cable holding portion 351, which serves as a holding portion. The cable holding portion 351 has holding ribs 35c formed along it as cable pressing portions to hold the fitted cable 62 within the cable holding portion 351 (inside the holding portion). The holding ribs 35c are formed at multiple locations on the inside (eight locations in FIG. 6) so that the cable 62 is held in the cable holding portion 351. It is preferable that the holding ribs 35c be arranged alternately in a staggered pattern on both sides of the cable holding portion 351 in the short direction, from the viewpoint of ease of fitting the cable 62 into the cable holding portion 351.

[0046] 6 and 7, the cable holder 35 has a first holder end 353 formed on one side (right side) that is open upward for passing the cable 62 toward the operation unit board 61. The cable holder 35 also has a second holder end 354 formed on the other side (left side) that is open on the left side for passing the cable 62 toward the main control board 65. The first holder end 353 and the second holder end 354 are formed offset in the ejection direction in accordance with the arrangement of the operation unit board 61 and the main control board 65, respectively.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6 , the cable holder 35 has horizontal crossing portions 35d, 35f, and 35h and inclined crossing portions 35e and 35g, as indicated by dotted lines. The horizontal crossing portions 35h and 35d are the first holder end 353, through which the cable 62 passes toward the operation unit board 61, and the second holder end 354, through which the cable 62 passes toward the main control board 65. This allows the operator to smoothly attach the cable 62 to the main control board 65 and the operation unit board 61. Meanwhile, the inclined crossing portions 35e and 35g hold the cable 62 between the first holder end 353 and the second holder end 354 so that it approaches the operation unit board 61 from the main control board 65 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby shortening the cable path from the main control board 65 to the operation unit board 61.

[0048] The cable holder 35 is formed with an attachment portion 35a on the outer side of the cable holding portion 351 as an engaged portion for attachment to the discharge tray 51, and a positioning boss 35b for positioning the cable holder 35 with respect to the discharge tray 51 is formed on the first holder end 353. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7 , the discharge tray 51 is formed with an engagement portion 5a that engages with the attachment portion 35a and an insertion positioning hole 5b into which the positioning boss 35b is inserted. The operator can attach the cable holder 35 to the discharge tray 51 by inserting the attachment portion 35a of the cable holder 35 into the attachment portion 35a of the discharge tray 51 and inserting the positioning boss 35b into the positioning hole 5b. As a result, the cable holder 35 is disposed so that the first holder end 353 and the second holder end 354 are positioned at offset positions in the front-to-rear direction in accordance with the arrangement of the operation unit board 61 and the main control board 65.

[0049] The cable holder 35 is detachably attached to the discharge tray 51. In this embodiment, the cable holder 35 is attached to the discharge tray 51 by sliding the cable holder 35 in parallel from right to left relative to the discharge tray 51, whereby the attachment portion 35a and the engagement portion 5a engage with each other. Conversely, the cable holder 35 is slid in parallel from left to right relative to the discharge tray 51, whereby the attachment portion 35a and the engagement portion 5a disengage and the cable holder 35 is removed from the discharge tray 51. To make it easier for an operator to move the cable holder 35 relative to the discharge tray 51, the cable holder 35 preferably has a gripping portion 352 formed on the first holder end portion 353 side, which allows the operator to grip the cable holder 35. The gripping portion 352 is formed to protrude outward beyond the discharge tray 51 when the cable holder 35 is attached to the discharge tray 51, to make it easier for an operator to grip the gripping portion 352.

[0050] 7, in this embodiment, the cable holder 35 is attached so that its open surface, into which the cable 62 can be fitted, faces the discharge tray 51. In other words, the cable holder 35 is attached to the discharge tray 51 so that the holding rib 35c (see FIG. 6) formed on the cable holding portion 351 faces the discharge tray 51. In this way, the open surface of the cable holder 35 is covered by the discharge tray 51, so that the cable 62 held by the cable holding portion 351 does not protrude from the cable holding portion 351.

[0051] 7, it is preferable that the cable holder 35 has a recessed opening on the side opposite to the opening into which the cable 62 can be fitted, the opening being large enough to prevent the cable 32 fitted into the cable holding portion 351 from protruding. This allows the cable holder 35 to be made lighter and less expensive.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the cable 62 connecting the main control board 65 and the operation unit board 61 is held by the cable holder 35, and the cable holder 35 is attached to the underside of the discharge tray 51 while holding the cable 62. The cable holder 35 is attached with its open side, into which the cable 62 can be fitted, facing the discharge tray 51, so that the open side of the cable holder 35 is blocked by the discharge tray 51. When the cable holder 35 is attached in this manner, the cable 62 is surrounded by the cable holding portion 351 and the discharge tray 51 and does not protrude from the cable holding portion 351. Therefore, when the exterior cover 85 is attached to the housing 1A, the cable 62 is not pinched between other components, including the left side panel 17 and the right side panel 18, provided on the housing 1A. In this way, a simple configuration can be used to improve the ease with which an operator can route cables to the electrical boards during assembly of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0053] <Other embodiments> The cable holder 35 may be configured so that multiple cables 62 can be fitted into the cable holding portion 351. In this case, it is preferable to bundle the multiple cables 62 into a single cable by covering them with, for example, a rubber tube before fitting them into the cable holding portion 351, as this makes it easier to fit the cables into the cable holding portion 351. Furthermore, the multiple cables 62 are held in the cable holding portion 351 without coming apart, and the diameter can be adjusted to match the width of the cable holding portion 351 depending on the number of cables 62, which makes it less likely that the cables 62 will protrude from the cable holding portion 351, which is preferable.

[0054] Furthermore, a mixture of cables 62 bundled together and covered with rubber tubes and cables 62 not covered with rubber tubes may be held in the cable holding portion 351. In this case, the cables 62 not covered with rubber tubes may be inserted into the cable holding portion 351 first, and the cables bundled together with rubber tubes may be inserted later. That is, the cables 62 not covered with rubber tubes are covered with the cables bundled together with rubber tubes, and each is held in the cable holding portion 351. In this way, the cables 62, which have a smaller diameter than a single cable and are therefore more likely to protrude from the cable holding portion 351, are less likely to protrude from the cable holding portion 351 because of the bundled cable.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, the cable holder 35 is disposed on the underside of the discharge tray 51, but this is not limiting. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the cable holder 35 may be disposed on the underside of the exterior cover part 85 instead of on the underside of the discharge tray 51. However, even in this case, as described above, the cable holder 35 is attached with the side that is open so that the cable 62 can be fitted in facing the exterior cover part 85.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the operation unit board 61 and the main control board 65 are electrically connected by the cable 62, but this is not limiting. In this embodiment, an electrical board is arranged on one side of the center in the left-right direction in the housing 1A, and another electrical board is arranged on the other side of the center in the left-right direction in the housing 1A, and as long as these are connected by a cable, the electrical boards do not have to be the operation unit board 61 and the main control board 65 described above.

[0057] The above-described embodiment is not limited to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material using a developer containing toner and carrier, but may also be applied to image forming apparatuses using other methods, such as an inkjet image forming apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a recording material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...image forming apparatus, 1A...casing, 2...exposure unit, 4...operation unit, 5a...engagement portion, 10d (10a to 10c)...photosensitive drum, 20...third electrical circuit board (laser circuit board), 29...exposure cable (flat cable), 35...cable holder, 35a...engaged portion (mounting portion), 35c...cable holding portion (holding rib), 51...loading portion (discharge tray), 61...first electrical circuit board (operation unit board), 62...cable, 65...second electrical circuit board (main control board), 70...discharge portion, 85...exterior cover portion, 300...image forming unit, 351...holding portion (cable holding portion), 353...first holder end, 354...second holder end, 511...first end, 512...second end, N3...nip portion (discharge nip portion), P...recording material

Claims

1. An image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material; a housing portion that includes at least an exterior cover portion that forms an upper surface in the vertical direction and that houses the image forming unit; a discharge section that discharges, from inside the housing section, a recording material on which an image has been formed by the image forming unit; a first electrical circuit board disposed in the housing portion on one side of the center in a width direction intersecting the vertical direction and a direction in which the recording material is discharged by the discharge portion; a second electrical board disposed on the other side of the center in the width direction in the housing; a cable that electrically connects the first electrical board and the second electrical board; a cable holder provided on the underside of the exterior cover portion, the cable holder holding the cable and fixed to the exterior cover portion, An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. The cable holder has a holding portion with a concave cross section that is open on one side so that the cable can be fitted in, and a cable pressing portion that presses the cable that has been fitted in the holding portion from the one side within the holding portion, The cable holder is disposed so that the one surface side of the cable holder faces the exterior cover portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. the outer cover portion has a stacking portion for stacking the recording material discharged by the discharge portion, the cable holder is disposed on a surface of the loading section opposite to a loading surface on which the recording material is loaded; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. the one side is located outside a first end of the loading section in the width direction, the other side is located outside a second end of the loading section opposite to the first end in the width direction; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. the exterior cover portion has an engagement portion on the lower surface, the cable holder has an engaged portion that engages with the engaging portion, and is detachably provided on the exterior cover portion; 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. The first electrical board and the second electrical board are arranged to be shifted in the ejection direction, a first end portion of the cable holder that is open on the one side and through which the cable passes and a second end portion of the cable holder that is open on the other side and through which the cable passes are offset in the ejection direction in accordance with the arrangement of the first electrical board and the second electrical board; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

7. an operation unit disposed above the exterior cover unit in the vertical direction, the first electrical circuit board is an operation unit board that is provided in the operation unit and operates the operation unit, The second electrical board is disposed below the operation unit board in the vertical direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. the image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum and an exposure unit disposed above the photosensitive drum in the vertical direction and configured to expose the photosensitive drum to light to form a latent image; a third electrical board that is provided on the other side of the exposure unit in the width direction and that operates the exposure unit; an exposure cable that electrically connects the second electrical board and the third electrical board, the cable holder is disposed between the exterior cover portion and the exposure unit in the vertical direction; the first electrical board is disposed above the cable holder in the vertical direction, the second electrical board is disposed below the first electrical board in the vertical direction, the third electrical board is disposed below the cable holder in the vertical direction, the cable is routed from the cable holder toward the second electrical board at a position higher than the cable holder in the vertical direction on the other side in the width direction, the exposure cable is routed from the third electrical board to the second electrical board below the cable holder in the vertical direction on the other side in the width direction; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

Images