Image forming device

Abstract

To accurately attach covers arranged on an image formation device, thereby improving an appearance.SOLUTION: An image formation device comprises: a frame: a front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame; an upper cover which is arranged on a top surface of the frame, and has a plurality of engagement parts which is engaged to the front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame. The front cover has: a cross direction regulation part which is engaged to the first engagement part provided on the upper cover, and regulates a position of the upper cover in the cross direction; a lower direction regulation part which is engaged to the second engagement part provided on the upper cover, for regulating a position of the upper cover in a vertical direction; and a lateral direction regulation part which is engaged to a third engagement part provided on the upper cover, for regulating a position of the upper cover in a lateral direction. The first, second and third engagement parts are engaged respectively to the cross direction regulation part / the vertical direction regulation part / the lateral direction regulation part of the front cover which is fixed to the front side of the frame, for regulating the positions of the upper cover in the cross, vertical and lateral directions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copier, a facsimile, or a multifunction machine having the functions of these machines. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image forming apparatus in which a cover is attached to the apparatus body. Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus in which a box-shaped cover is attached to the apparatus body.

[0003] The image forming device described in Patent Document 1 has a first positioning member that positions the cover at a first target position in a first direction relative to the device body, and a second positioning member that positions the cover at a second target position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction relative to the device body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-116808 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the cover attached to the device body is a box-shaped part, but device bodies are generally roughly rectangular parallelepipeds, and the larger the device body, the more likely it is that one cover will be attached to one side of the device body.

[0006] In a configuration in which one cover is attached to one side of the device body, if it is not possible to directly position the cover on one side relative to the device body, it becomes necessary to position and fix the covers relative to each other. Specifically, the top cover attached to the top surface of the device body is positioned to a target position in a first direction by a front cover attached to the front of the device body. Furthermore, the top cover is positioned to a target position in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction by a left cover attached to the left side of the device body.

[0007] In this way, when one cover is positioned by multiple covers, the accuracy of the alignment between the covers decreases due to component intersections between the top cover and the front cover and between the top cover and the left cover, which may impair the aesthetic appearance.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to attach covers arranged on an image forming apparatus with greater precision to improve the aesthetic appearance of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A representative configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is an image forming apparatus including a frame, a front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, and an upper cover disposed on an upper surface of the frame and having a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover fixed to the front surface of the frame, wherein when the side to which the front cover is fixed is defined as the front side and the opposite side is defined as the rear side in a front-to-rear direction, when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front side, one side of a width direction orthogonal to the front-to-rear direction is defined as the right side and the other side is defined as the left side in a left-to-right direction, and when the vertical direction orthogonal to the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction is defined as a top side and a bottom side in a vertical direction orthogonal to the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction is defined as a top side, the front cover engages with first engagement portions that the upper cover has, and abuts on the front and rear sides of the first engagement portions in the front-to-rear direction. the front cover is fixed to the front side of the frame, and the frame has a front-to-rear regulating portion that contacts the front and rear regulating portion to regulate the front-to-rear position of the upper cover; a vertical regulating portion that engages with a second engaging portion that the upper cover has and contacts the upper and lower sides of the second engaging portion in the vertical direction to regulate the vertical position of the upper cover; and a left-to-right regulating portion that engages with a third engaging portion that the upper cover has and contacts the left and right sides of the third engaging portion in the horizontal direction to regulate the left-to-right position of the upper cover, and the front-to-rear, vertical and left-to-right positions of the upper cover are regulated by engaging the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion and the third engaging portion that the upper cover has with the front-to-rear regulating portion, the vertical regulating portion and the left-to-right regulating portion, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the upper cover can be attached with high precision using the front cover, the precision of the alignment between the front cover and the upper cover is improved, and the aesthetic appearance can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an upper cover and a front cover according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4]1 is a perspective view of a front cover, a left cover, and a right cover according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame and a front cover according to a first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a frame and a front cover according to a first embodiment; [Figure 7] 1(a) to 1(f) are explanatory diagrams of the front cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] (a) to (e) are explanatory diagrams of the upper cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 9] (a) to (f) are cross-sectional views of the mounting shapes of the upper cover and the front cover in Example 1. [Figure 10] (a) to (g) are cross-sectional views of the mounting shapes of the upper cover and the front cover in Example 1. [Figure 11] 1(a) to 1(f) are explanatory diagrams of the front cover and the left cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 1(a) to 1(f) are explanatory diagrams of the front cover and the right cover of the first embodiment. [Figure 13] (a) to (e) are cross-sectional views of the mounting shapes of the upper cover and the front cover in Example 2. [Figure 14] 10 is a perspective view of the upper cover of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front cover according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 17] 10 is a perspective view of the upper cover of the third embodiment. [Figure 18] (a) to (e) are perspective views of the upper cover of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the following embodiments may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied and various conditions, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to these alone.

[0013] Example 1 Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus with the multi-cover open. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top cover and front cover of the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the front cover, left cover, and right cover of the first embodiment.

[0014] (Image forming device) 1 and 2, in image forming apparatus 1, sheets serving as recording media are fed one by one by a feeding unit (not shown) from a feeding cassette 4 disposed at the bottom of the apparatus body. An image is formed on the sheets by an image forming unit (not shown) provided inside the apparatus body. The sheets on which the images have been formed are discharged by a discharge unit (not shown) onto a discharge tray disposed at the top of the apparatus body, and are stacked thereon.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with an operation panel 10 at the top front of the apparatus. Various output conditions, such as the number of sheets of recording medium to be output and image size, are input from this operation panel 10 or an external device such as a personal computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1, and the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is controlled based on this information.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, image forming apparatus 1 includes a frame 8 (FIG. 5), a front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of frame 8, and an upper cover 2 disposed on the upper surface of frame 8 and having a plurality of engagement portions that engage with front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of frame 8. As shown in FIG. 4, image forming apparatus 1 includes a left cover 6 that is disposed on the left side of frame 8 and is a side cover that has a plurality of engagement portions that engage with front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of frame 8. Image forming apparatus 1 includes a right cover 5 that is disposed on the right side of frame 8 and is a side cover that has a plurality of engagement portions that engage with front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of frame 8. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a multi-cover 3 is provided on front cover 7 in an openable and closable manner.

[0017] The image forming device 1 houses a feeding section (not shown), an image forming section (not shown), and an ejection section (not shown) inside, and is surrounded by an upper cover 2, a front cover 7 including a multi-cover 3, a right cover 5, and a left cover 6.

[0018] In the following description, the front-rear direction is defined as the side where the front cover 7 is fixed, with the opposite side being the rear. Furthermore, when viewing the image forming apparatus 1 from the front, one widthwise direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is defined as the right side, and the other widthwise direction is defined as the left side. Furthermore, the vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions is defined as the upside, with the upside facing vertically upward and the downside facing downward. The defined front, rear, right, left, up, and down directions are shown in the drawings.

[0019] (positioning of the frame and front cover) The positioning of the frame and the front cover will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the frame and the front cover as seen from the front side. Figure 6 is a partial perspective view of the frame and the front cover as seen from the rear side.

[0020] The front cover 7 is fixed to the front surface of the frame 8. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the front cover 7 has bosses 7r1 and 7r2 that are engagement portions that engage with positioning holes 8r1 and 8r2 that are positioning portions of the frame 8, and fastening holes 7s1 and 7s2 that are fastening portions that fasten the front cover 7 to the frame 8 with screws. The bosses 7r1 and 7r2 and the fastening holes 7s1 and 7s2 are provided on both left and right sides of the front cover 7. The front cover 7 is positioned relative to the frame 8 by fitting the bosses 7r1 and 7r2 into the positioning holes 8r1 and 8r2 of the frame 8, respectively, and is fixed to the frame 8 by fastening with screws. In this way, the front cover 7 is disposed in front of the frame 8.

[0021] (Upper restricting portion of front cover) The upper restricting portions of the front cover will be described with reference to Fig. 7(a) to Fig. 7(f). Fig. 7(a) to Fig. 7(f) are explanatory views of the front cover of the first embodiment. Fig. 7(a) is a perspective view of the front cover as seen from the rear side. Fig. 7(b) to Fig. 7(f) are perspective views of the upper restricting portions of the front cover.

[0022] As shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(f), the front cover 7 has front-to-rear regulating portions 7a and 7b that regulate the front-to-rear position of the upper cover 2, up-and-down regulating portions 7c and 7d that regulate the up-and-down position of the upper cover 2, and a left-and-right regulating portion 7e that regulates the left-and-right position of the upper cover 2.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 7(a), front-rear regulating portions 7a and 7b, up-down regulating portions 7c and 7d, and left-right regulating portion 7e are provided at the upper end of the front cover 7, aligned in the left-right direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the left-right regulation portion 7e is provided in the center in the left-right direction, and the up-down regulation portions 7c, 7d and the front-rear regulation portions 7a, 7b are provided in this order on one side and the other side of the left-right regulation portion 7e in the left-right direction. In other words, the front cover 7 is provided with two front-rear regulation portions 7a, 7b, two up-down regulation portions 7c, 7d, and one left-right regulation portion 7e in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: front-rear regulation portion 7a, up-down regulation portion 7c, left-right regulation portion 7e, up-down regulation portion 7d, and front-rear regulation portion 7b.

[0025] (Front engagement portion of the upper cover) The front engaging portions of the upper cover will be described with reference to Fig. 8(a) to Fig. 8(f). Fig. 8(a) to Fig. 8(f) are explanatory diagrams of the upper cover of Example 1. Fig. 8(a) is a perspective view of the upper cover as seen from below. Fig. 8(b) to Fig. 8(f) are perspective views of the respective front engaging portions of the upper cover.

[0026] As described above, the upper cover 2 is disposed on the upper surface of the frame 8, and has a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of the frame 8. As shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(f), the upper cover 2 has first engagement portions 2a and 2b, second engagement portions 2c and 2d, and a third engagement portion 2e that engage with the front cover 7.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 8(a), first engagement portions 2a and 2b, second engagement portions 2c and 2d, and a third engagement portion 2e are provided on the front end of the upper cover 2, aligned in the left-right direction.

[0028] In this embodiment, two first engagement portions 2a, 2b, two second engagement portions 2c, 2d, and one third engagement portion 2e are provided at positions corresponding to two front-to-rear regulating portions 7a, 7b, two up-down regulating portions 7c, 7d, and one left-to-right regulating portion 7e provided on the front cover 7.

[0029] Specifically, the upper cover 2 has two first engagement portions 2a, 2b, two second engagement portions 2c, 2d, and one third engagement portion 2e, which are arranged in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: first engagement portion 2a, second engagement portion 2c, third engagement portion 2e, second engagement portion 2d, first engagement portion 2b.

[0030] The front cover 7 regulates the position of the upper cover 2 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging the first engagement portions 2a, 2b, second engagement portions 2c, 2d, and third engagement portion 2e of the upper cover 2 with the front-to-back regulation portions 7a, 7b, up-down regulation portions 7c, 7d, and left-to-right regulation portion 7e of the front cover 7 fixed to the front side of the frame 8, respectively.

[0031] (Positioning the front and top covers) Here, using Figures 9(a) to 10(g), we will explain the configuration in which the front cover 7 regulates the position of the upper cover 2 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging multiple engagement portions on the upper cover 2 with multiple regulating portions on the front cover 7.

[0032] 9(a) to 9(f) and 10(a) to 10(g) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the engagement portion of the upper cover and the restriction portion of the front cover of the first embodiment are engaged. FIGS. 9(a) to 9(e) are cross-sectional views taken along the line pp of FIG. 3. FIGS. 9(a), 9(e), 10(a), and 10(g) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the front-rear restriction portion and the first restriction portion are engaged. FIGS. 9(b), 9(d), 10(b), 10(c), 10(e), and 10(f) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the up-down restriction portion and the second restriction portion are engaged. FIGS. 9(c) and 10(d) are cross-sectional views showing a state in which the left-right restriction portion and the third restriction portion are engaged. FIG. 10(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line qq of FIG. 9(a). FIG. 10(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ss of FIG. 9(b), and FIG. 10(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line tt of FIG. 9(b). Fig. 10(d) is a cross-sectional view taken along line ww in Fig. 9(c), Fig. 10(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along line uu in Fig. 9(d), Fig. 10(f) is a cross-sectional view taken along line vv in Fig. 9(d), and Fig. 10(g) is a cross-sectional view taken along line rr in Fig. 9(e).

[0033] 9(a) and 10(a), the front-rear restricting portion 7a engages with the first engaging portion 2a of the upper cover 2 to restrict the front-rear position of the upper cover 2. Specifically, a front-rear front portion 7a1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7a abuts against a front-rear front portion 2a1 of the first engaging portion 2a, and a rear-rear rear portion 7a2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7a abuts against a rear-rear rear portion 2a2 of the first engaging portion 2a, thereby restricting the front-rear position of the upper cover 2.

[0034] 9(e) and 10(g), the front-rear restricting portion 7b engages with the first engaging portion 2b of the upper cover, restricting the front-rear position of the upper cover 2. Specifically, a front-rear front portion 7b1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7b abuts against a front-rear front portion 2b1 of the first engaging portion 2b, and a rear-rear rear portion 7b2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7b abuts against a rear-rear rear portion 2b2 of the first engaging portion 2b, restricting the front-rear position of the upper cover 2.

[0035] In this way, the front cover 7 has two front-rear restricting portions 7a, 7b on one side and the other side in the left-right direction to restrict its position in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the left-right direction of the top cover 2. Here, the left-right direction is the direction along the joint (boundary) between the front cover 7 and the top cover 2. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the joint between the covers, the two restricting portions restrict different positions in that direction.

[0036] 9(b), 10(b), and 10(c), the vertical regulation portion 7c engages with the second engagement portion 2c of the upper cover 2, regulating the vertical position of the upper cover 2. Specifically, an upper portion 7c1 of the vertical regulation portion 7c abuts against an upper portion 2c1 of the second engagement portion 2c, and a lower portion 7c2 of the vertical regulation portion 7c abuts against a lower portion 2c2 of the second engagement portion 2c, regulating the vertical position of the upper cover 2.

[0037] 9(d), 10(e), and 10(f), the vertical regulation portion 7d engages with the second engagement portion 2d of the upper cover 2, regulating the vertical position of the upper cover 2. Specifically, an upper portion 7d1 of the vertical regulation portion 7d abuts against an upper portion 2d1 of the second engagement portion 2d, and a lower portion 7d2 of the vertical regulation portion 7d abuts against a lower portion 2d2 of the second engagement portion 2d, regulating the vertical position of the upper cover 2.

[0038] In this way, the front cover 7 has two vertical regulation portions 7c, 7d on one side and the other side in the left-right direction to regulate the vertical position of the top cover 2, which is perpendicular to the left-right direction. As described above, in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating portion between the covers, different positions in the direction are regulated by the two regulation portions.

[0039] 9(c) and 10(d), the left-right restricting portion 7e engages with the third engaging portion 2e of the upper cover 2, restricting the left-right position of the upper cover 2. Specifically, a left side portion 7e1, which is one side of the left-right restricting portion 7e in the left-right direction, abuts against the left side portion 2e1, which is one side of the third engaging portion 2e, and a right side portion 7e2, which is the other side of the left-right restricting portion 7e in the left-right direction, abuts against the right side portion 2e2, which is the other side of the third engaging portion 2e, thereby restricting the left-right position of the upper cover 2.

[0040] In this way, the front cover 7 regulates the left-right position of the top cover 2 by one left-right regulating part 7e between other regulating parts in the left-right direction. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating part of the covers, two regulating parts regulate different positions in that direction, whereas in the direction along the mating part of the covers, one left-right regulating part 7e regulates the position in that direction.

[0041] As described above, according to this embodiment, the front cover 7 regulates the position of the top cover 2 in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions. Therefore, the front cover 7 allows the top cover 2 to be attached with high precision, increasing the accuracy of alignment between the front cover 7 and the top cover 2 and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0042] (Left side restriction part of the front cover) Next, the left-side restricting portion of the front cover will be described with reference to Fig. 11(a) to Fig. 11(f). Fig. 11(a) to Fig. 11(f) are explanatory diagrams of the front cover and left cover of the first embodiment. Fig. 11(a) is a partial perspective view of the front cover and left cover as seen from the rear side. Fig. 11(b) to Fig. 11(f) are cross-sectional views showing the restricting portion of the front cover and the engaging portion of the left cover engaged with each other.

[0043] As shown in Figures 11(a) to 11(f), the front cover 7 has front-to-rear regulating portions 7h, 7i that regulate the front-to-rear position of the left cover 6, a vertical regulating portion 7g that regulates the vertical position of the left cover 6, and horizontal regulating portions 7f, 7j that regulate the horizontal position of the left cover 6.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the front-rear regulating portions 7h, 7i, the up-down regulating portion 7g, and the left-right regulating portions 7f, 7j are arranged vertically at the left end portion of the front cover 7, which is one of the left and right sides.

[0045] In this embodiment, two left and right regulating portions 7f, 7j, two front and rear regulating portions 7h, 7i, and one up and down regulating portion 7g are provided vertically aligned at the left end of the front cover.

[0046] Specifically, the front cover 7 has two left and right regulating portions 7f, 7j, two front and rear regulating portions 7h, 7i, and one up and down regulating portion 7g, which are arranged in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: left and right regulating portion 7f, up and down regulating portion 7g, front and rear regulating portion 7h, front and rear regulating portion 7i, left and right regulating portion 7j.

[0047] (Front engagement portion of the left cover) Next, the front restricting portion of the left cover will be described.

[0048] The left cover 6 is disposed on the left side surface of the frame 8 and has a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of the frame 8. The left cover 6 has the plurality of engagement portions: first engagement portions 6h, 6i, a second engagement portion 6g, and third engagement portions 6f, 6j.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the first engaging portions 6h, 6i, the second engaging portion 6g, and the third engaging portions 6f, 6j are provided at the front end of the left cover 6, aligned in the vertical direction.

[0050] In this embodiment, two third engagement portions 6f, 6j, two first engagement portions 6h, 6i, and one second engagement portion 6g are provided at positions corresponding to two left-right regulating portions 7f, 7j, two front-rear regulating portions 7h, 7i, and one up-down regulating portion 7g provided on the front cover 7.

[0051] Specifically, the left cover 6 has two third engagement portions 6f, 6j, two first engagement portions 6h, 6i, and one second engagement portion 6g, which are arranged in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: third engagement portion 6f, second engagement portion 6g, first engagement portion 6h, first engagement portion 6i, third engagement portion 6j.

[0052] The front cover 7 regulates the position of the left cover 6 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging the first engagement portions 6h, 6i, second engagement portions 6g, and third engagement portions 6f, 6j of the left cover 6 with the front-to-back regulation portions 7h, 7i, up-down regulation portion 7g, and left-to-right regulation portions 7f, 7j of the front cover 7 fixed to the front side of the frame 8, respectively.

[0053] (Positioning the front and left covers) Here, using Figures 11(a) to 11(f), we will explain the configuration in which the front cover 7 regulates the position of the left cover 6 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging multiple engagement portions on the left cover 6 with multiple regulating portions on the front cover 7.

[0054] 11(d), the front-rear restricting portion 7h engages with the first engaging portion 6h of the left cover 6, restricting the front-rear position of the left cover 6. Specifically, a front-rear front portion 7h1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7h abuts against the front-rear front portion 6h1 of the first engaging portion 6h, and a rear-rear rear portion 7h2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7h abuts against the rear-rear rear portion 6h2 of the first engaging portion 6h, restricting the front-rear position of the left cover 6.

[0055] 11(e), the front-rear restricting portion 7h engages with the first engaging portion 6i of the left cover 6, restricting the front-rear position of the left cover 6. Specifically, a front-rear front portion 7i1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7i abuts against the front-rear front portion 6i1 of the first engaging portion 6i, and a rear-rear rear portion 7i2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7i abuts against the rear-rear rear portion 6i2 of the first engaging portion 6i, restricting the front-rear position of the left cover 6.

[0056] In this way, the front cover 7 has two front-rear restricting portions 7h, 7i on one and the other sides in the up-down direction to restrict the position in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction of the left cover 6. Here, the up-down direction is the direction along the joint (boundary) between the front cover 7 and the left cover 6. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the joint between the covers, the two restricting portions restrict different positions in that direction.

[0057] 11(c), the vertical regulation portion 7g engages with the second engagement portion 6g of the left cover 6, regulating the vertical position of the left cover 6. Specifically, an upper portion 7g1 of the vertical regulation portion 7g abuts against an upper portion 6g1 of the second engagement portion 6g, and a lower portion 7g2 of the vertical regulation portion 7g abuts against a lower portion 6g2 of the second engagement portion 6g, regulating the vertical position of the left cover 6.

[0058] In this way, the front cover 7 regulates the vertical position of the left cover 6 by one vertical regulating part 7g between other regulating parts in the vertical direction. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating part of the covers, two regulating parts regulate different positions in that direction, whereas in the direction along the mating part of the covers, one vertical regulating part 7g regulates the position in that direction.

[0059] 11(b), the left-right restricting portion 7f engages with the third engaging portion 6f of the left cover 6, restricting the left-right position of the left cover 6. Specifically, a left side portion 7f1, which is one side of the left-right restricting portion 7f in the left-right direction, abuts against the left side portion 6f1, which is one side of the third engaging portion 6f in the left-right direction, and a right side portion 7f2, which is the other side of the left-right restricting portion 7f in the left-right direction, abuts against the right side portion 6f2, which is the other side of the third engaging portion 6f in the left-right direction, thereby restricting the left-right position of the left cover 6.

[0060] 11(f), the left-right restricting portion 7j engages with the third engaging portion 6j of the left cover 6, restricting the left-right position of the left cover 6. Specifically, a left side portion 7j1, which is one side of the left-right restricting portion 7j in the left-right direction, abuts against the left side portion 6j1, which is one side of the third engaging portion 6j in the left-right direction, and a right side portion 7j2, which is the other side of the left-right restricting portion 7j in the left-right direction, abuts against the right side portion 6j2, which is the other side of the third engaging portion 6j in the left-right direction, thereby restricting the left-right position of the left cover 6.

[0061] In this way, the front cover 7 uses two left and right restricting portions 7f, 7j on one and the other sides in the up-down direction to restrict the left and right position of the left cover 6, which is perpendicular to the up-down direction. As described above, in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating portion between the covers, the two restricting portions restrict different positions in that direction.

[0062] As described above, according to this embodiment, the front cover 7 regulates the front-rear, up-down, and left-right positions of the left cover 6. Therefore, the front cover 7 allows the left cover 6 to be attached with high precision, increasing the accuracy of alignment between the front cover 7 and the left cover 6 and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0063] (Right side restriction part of the front cover) Next, the right-side restricting portion of the front cover will be described with reference to Fig. 12(a) to Fig. 12(f). Fig. 12(a) to Fig. 12(f) are explanatory diagrams of the front cover and right cover of the first embodiment. Fig. 12(a) is a partial perspective view of the front cover and right cover as seen from the rear side. Fig. 12(b) to Fig. 12(f) are cross-sectional views showing the restricting portion of the front cover and the engaging portion of the right cover engaged with each other.

[0064] As shown in Figures 12(a) to 12(f), the front cover 7 has front-to-rear regulating portions 7m, 7p that regulate the front-to-rear position of the right cover 5, a vertical regulating portion 7l that regulates the vertical position of the right cover 5, and left-to-right regulating portions 7k, 7n that regulate the left-to-right position of the right cover 5.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the front-rear regulating portions 7m, 7p, the up-down regulating portion 7l, and the left-right regulating portions 7k, 7n are arranged vertically at the right end portion, which is the other left-right side of the front cover 7.

[0066] In this embodiment, two left and right regulating portions 7k, 7n, two front and rear regulating portions 7m, 7p, and one up and down regulating portion 7l are provided vertically aligned at the right end of the front cover.

[0067] Specifically, the front cover 7 has two left and right regulating portions 7k, 7n, two front and rear regulating portions 7m, 7p, and one up and down regulating portion 7l, which are arranged in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: left and right regulating portion 7k, up and down regulating portion 7l, front and rear regulating portion 7m, left and right regulating portion 7n, and front and rear regulating portion 7p.

[0068] (Front engagement portion of the right cover) Next, the front restricting portion of the right cover will be described.

[0069] The right cover 5 is disposed on the right side surface of the frame 8 and has a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of the frame 8. The right cover 5 has the plurality of engagement portions, which are first engagement portions 5m, 5p, a second engagement portion 5l, and third engagement portions 5k, 5n.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 12(a), the first engagement portions 5m, 5p, the second engagement portion 5l, and the third engagement portions 5k, 5n are provided at the front end of the right cover 5, aligned in the vertical direction.

[0071] In this embodiment, two third engagement portions 5k, 5n, two first engagement portions 5m, 5p, and one second engagement portion 5l are provided at positions corresponding to two left and right regulating portions 7k, 7n, two front and rear regulating portions 7m, 7p, and one up and down regulating portion 7l provided on the front cover 7.

[0072] Specifically, the right cover 5 has two third engagement portions 5k, 5n, two first engagement portions 5m, 5p, and one second engagement portion 5l, which are arranged in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: third engagement portion 5k, second engagement portion 5l, first engagement portion 5m, third engagement portion 5n, first engagement portion 5p.

[0073] The front cover 7 regulates the position of the right cover 5 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging the first engagement portions 5m, 5p, second engagement portions 5l, and third engagement portions 5k, 5n of the right cover 5 with the front-to-back regulation portions 7m, 7p, up-down regulation portion 7l, and left-to-right regulation portions 7k, 7n of the front cover 7 fixed to the front side of the frame 8, respectively.

[0074] (Right cover positioning by front cover) Here, using Figures 12(a) to 12(f), we will explain the configuration in which the front cover 7 regulates the position of the right cover 5 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions by engaging multiple engagement portions on the right cover 5 with multiple regulating portions on the front cover 7.

[0075] 12(d), the front-rear restricting portion 7m engages with the first engaging portion 5m of the right cover 5, restricting the front-rear position of the right cover 5. Specifically, a front-rear front portion 7m1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7m abuts against the front-rear front portion 5m1 of the first engaging portion 5m, and a rear-rear rear portion 7m2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7m abuts against the rear-rear rear portion 5m2 of the first engaging portion 5m, restricting the front-rear position of the right cover 5.

[0076] 12(f), the front-rear restricting portion 7p engages with the first engaging portion 5p of the right cover 5, restricting the front-rear position of the right cover 5. Specifically, a front-rear side portion 7p1 of the front-rear restricting portion 7p abuts against the front-rear side portion 5p1 of the first engaging portion 5p, and a rear side portion 7p2 of the front-rear restricting portion 7p abuts against the rear side portion 5p2 of the first engaging portion 5p, restricting the front-rear position of the right cover 5.

[0077] In this way, the front cover 7 has two front-rear restricting portions 7m, 7p on one and the other sides in the up-down direction to restrict the position in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction of the right cover 5. Here, the up-down direction is the direction along the joint (boundary) between the front cover 7 and the right cover 5. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the joint between the covers, the two restricting portions restrict different positions in that direction.

[0078] 12(c), the vertical regulation portion 7l engages with the second engagement portion 5l of the right cover 5, regulating the vertical position of the right cover 5. Specifically, an upper portion 7l1 of the vertical regulation portion 7l abuts against an upper portion 5l1 of the second engagement portion 5l, and a lower portion 7l2 of the vertical regulation portion 7l abuts against a lower portion 5l2 of the second engagement portion 5l, thereby regulating the vertical position of the right cover 5.

[0079] In this way, the front cover 7 regulates the vertical position of the right cover 5 by one vertical regulating part 7l between other regulating parts in the vertical direction. In the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating part of the covers, two regulating parts regulate different positions in that direction, whereas in the direction along the mating part of the covers, one vertical regulating part 7l regulates the position in that direction.

[0080] 12(b), the left-right restricting portion 7k engages with the third engaging portion 5k of the right cover 5, restricting the left-right position of the right cover 5. Specifically, a left side portion 7k1, which is one side of the left-right restricting portion 7k in the left-right direction, abuts against the left side portion 5k1, which is one side of the third engaging portion 5k in the left-right direction, and a right side portion 7k2, which is the other side of the left-right restricting portion 7k in the left-right direction, abuts against the right side portion 5k2, which is the other side of the third engaging portion 5k in the left-right direction, thereby restricting the left-right position of the right cover 5.

[0081] 12(e), the left-right restricting portion 7n engages with the third engaging portion 5n of the right cover 5, restricting the left-right position of the right cover 5. Specifically, a left side portion 7n1, which is one side of the left-right restricting portion 7n in the left-right direction, abuts against the left side portion 5n1, which is one side of the third engaging portion 5n in the left-right direction, and a right side portion 7n2, which is the other side of the left-right restricting portion 7n in the left-right direction, abuts against the right side portion 5n2, which is the other side of the third engaging portion 5n in the left-right direction, thereby restricting the left-right position of the right cover 5.

[0082] In this way, the front cover 7 uses the two left and right restricting portions 7k, 7n on one and the other sides in the up-down direction to restrict the left-right position of the right cover 5, which is perpendicular to the up-down direction. As described above, in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the mating portion between the covers, the two restricting portions restrict different positions in that direction.

[0083] As described above, according to this embodiment, the front cover 7 regulates the position of the right cover 5 in the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions. Therefore, the front cover 7 allows the right cover 5 to be attached with high precision, increasing the accuracy of alignment between the front cover 7 and the right cover 5 and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0084] Example 2 An image forming apparatus according to Example 2 will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 15. In the image forming apparatus according to Example 2, the arrangement order in the left-right direction of the plurality of restricting portions of the front cover and the plurality of engaging portions of the upper cover is different from that of Example 1. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the above-described examples, members having equivalent functions are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0085] Figures 13(a) to 13(e) are cross-sectional views showing the state in which the restricting portions of the front cover and the engaging portions of the upper cover of the second embodiment are engaged, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to the pp cross section of the mating portion of the front cover and the upper cover shown in Figure 3. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the upper cover of the third embodiment, showing multiple engaging portions that the upper cover has. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the front cover of the third embodiment, showing multiple restricting portions that the front cover has.

[0086] In the first embodiment, the front cover has a front-rear regulating portion, a vertical regulating portion, and a left-right regulating portion arranged in the following order from the left side in the left-right direction: front-rear regulating portion, vertical regulating portion, left-right regulating portion, vertical regulating portion, front-rear regulating portion. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the arrangement is as follows.

[0087] The front cover 7 of Example 2 has two front-to-rear regulating portions 7a, 7b, two up-down regulating portions 7c, 7d, and one left-to-right regulating portion 7e, which are arranged in the following order from the left side, which is one side in the left-to-right direction: up-down regulating portion 7c, front-to-rear regulating portion 7a, left-to-right regulating portion 7e, front-to-rear regulating portion 7b, and up-down regulating portion 7d.

[0088] The upper cover 2 of Example 2 has two first engagement portions 2a, 2b, two second engagement portions 2c, 2d, and one third engagement portion 2e, which are arranged in the following order from the left side, which is one side in the left-right direction: second engagement portion 2c, first engagement portion 2a, third engagement portion 2e, first engagement portion 2b, second engagement portion 2d.

[0089] The front cover 7 of the first embodiment is provided with vertical regulation portions 7c and 7d on both sides of the horizontal regulation portion 7e in the left-right direction, and with the front-rear regulation portions 7a and 7b on the outside thereof. In contrast, the front cover 7 of the second embodiment is provided with vertical regulation portions 7a and 7b on both sides of the horizontal regulation portion 7e in the left-right direction, and with the front-rear regulation portions 7c and 7d on the outside thereof.

[0090] In this way, in this embodiment as well, the front cover 7 regulates the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right position of the upper cover 2. Therefore, the front cover 7 allows the upper cover 2 to be attached with high precision, increasing the accuracy of alignment between the front cover 7 and the upper cover 2 and improving the aesthetic appearance.

[0091] Example 3 An image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 18. In the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment, an image reading unit that reads image information is disposed above the upper cover. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiments, the same reference numerals are used to designate members having equivalent functions, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0092] Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to Example 3. Fig. 17 is a perspective view of an upper cover according to Example 3. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the upper cover according to Example 3, showing a plurality of engagement portions of the upper cover.

[0093] The image forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment includes a frame 8 (FIG. 5), a front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of the frame 8, and an upper cover 22 disposed on the upper surface of the frame 8 and having a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover 7 fixed to the front surface of the frame 8. The plurality of engagement portions of the upper cover 22 are similar to the plurality of engagement portions (first engagement portions 2a, 2b, second engagement portions 2c, 2d, third engagement portion 2e) of the upper cover 2 of the first embodiment described above, and therefore are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0094] The image forming device 1 houses a feeding section (not shown), an image forming section (not shown), and an ejection section (not shown) inside, and is surrounded by an upper cover 22, a front cover 7 including a multi-cover 3, a right cover 5, and a left cover 6.

[0095] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment, an image reading unit 28 for reading image information is disposed above the upper cover 22.

[0096] Therefore, in the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment, first, an image read by the image reading unit 28 or an image from an external device such as a personal computer connected to the image forming apparatus 1 is input to the apparatus. Next, sheets are fed one by one from the feed cassette 4 arranged at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 1 by a feeding section (not shown). The input image is formed on the sheet by an image forming section (not shown) provided inside the apparatus main body. The sheet on which the image has been formed is discharged by a discharge section (not shown) into a discharge space provided between the image reading unit 28 and the image forming apparatus main body, and is stacked on a discharge tray provided below the image reading unit 28 and at the top of the image forming apparatus main body.

[0097] Other configurations of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the third embodiment are the same as those of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, and therefore, description thereof will be omitted here.

[0098] In this way, in this embodiment as well, the front cover 7 regulates the position of the top cover 22 in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions. Therefore, the front cover 7 allows the top cover 22 to be attached with precision, increasing the accuracy of alignment between the front cover 7 and the top cover 22 and improving the aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, since the image reading unit 28 is disposed above the top cover 22, the image reading unit 28 can be attached to the image forming apparatus 1 with precision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...Image forming device 2,22 ...Top cover 2a, 2b...first engaging part 2c, 2d…Second engagement part 2e ... Third engagement portion 5...Right cover 5k,5n...Third engagement part 5l...Second engagement part 5m,5p…1st engagement part 6...Left cover 6f,6j...Third engaging part 6g…Second engagement part 6h,6i...first engagement part 7...Front cover 7a,7b...Front and rear regulation section 7c,7d…Upper and lower regulation section 7e...Left and right regulation section 7f,7j...Left and right regulation section 7g ...Up / down regulation part 7h,7i...Front and rear regulation section 7k,7n…Left and right regulation section 7l…Upper and lower regulation section 7m,7p…Front and rear regulation section 7r1, 7r2...Boss 7s1,7s2…fastening hole 8...frame 8r1, 8r2 ... Positioning holes 28...Image reading unit

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus including a frame, a front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, and an upper cover disposed on an upper surface of the frame and having a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover fixed to the front surface of the frame, When the side where the front cover is fixed is defined as the front side and the opposite side as the rear side, when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front side, one side of the width direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is defined as the right side and the other side is defined as the left side, and when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front side, the upward direction in the vertical direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction is defined as the top side, and the downward direction is defined as the bottom side, The front cover is a front-rear regulating portion that engages with a first engaging portion of the upper cover and abuts on front and rear sides of the first engaging portion in the front-rear direction to regulate the position of the upper cover in the front-rear direction; a vertical regulation portion that engages with a second engagement portion of the upper cover and abuts against upper and lower sides of the second engagement portion in the vertical direction to regulate the vertical position of the upper cover; a left-right restriction portion that engages with a third engagement portion of the upper cover and abuts against the left and right sides of the third engagement portion in the left-right direction to restrict the position of the upper cover in the left-right direction; and the front cover is fixed to the front side of the frame, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion of the top cover are engaged with the front-rear restricting portion, the up-down restricting portion, and the left-right restricting portion of the front cover, respectively, thereby restricting the position of the top cover in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction; An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. the front-rear regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the left-right regulating portion are provided side by side in the left-right direction at an upper end of the front cover, the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion are provided side by side in the left-right direction at a front end portion of the upper cover so as to correspond to the front-rear regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the left-right regulating portion, respectively; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The left-right regulating portion is provided at the center in the left-right direction, and the up-down regulating portion and the front-rear regulating portion are provided in this order on one side and the other side of the left-right regulating portion, respectively, in the left-right direction, The two first engaging portions, the two second engaging portions, and the one third engaging portion are provided at positions corresponding to the two front-rear regulating portions, the two up-down regulating portions, and the one left-right regulating portion provided on the front cover, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. The front cover has two of the front-rear regulating portions, two of the up-down regulating portions, and one of the left-right regulating portions provided in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: the front-rear regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, the left-right regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the front-rear regulating portion; the upper cover is provided with two of the first engaging portions, two of the second engaging portions, and one of the third engaging portions in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the first engaging portion; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. The front cover has two of the front-rear regulating portions, two of the up-down regulating portions, and one of the left-right regulating portions arranged in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: up-down regulating portion, the front-rear regulating portion, the left-right regulating portion, the front-rear regulating portion, and the up-down regulating portion; the upper cover is provided with two of the first engaging portions, two of the second engaging portions, and one of the third engaging portions in the following order from one side in the left-right direction: the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the third engaging portion, the first engaging portion, and the second engaging portion; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. the image forming apparatus includes a side cover disposed on the left side or the right side of the frame, the side cover having a plurality of engagement portions that engage with the front cover fixed to the front surface of the frame; The front cover is a front-rear restricting portion that engages with a first engaging portion of the side cover and abuts on front and rear sides of the first engaging portion in the front-rear direction to restrict a position of the side cover in the front-rear direction; a vertical regulation portion that engages with a second engagement portion of the side cover and abuts against upper and lower sides of the second engagement portion in the vertical direction to regulate the vertical position of the side cover; a left-right restriction portion that engages with a third engagement portion of the side cover and abuts against the left and right sides of the third engagement portion in the left-right direction to restrict the position of the side cover in the left-right direction; and The front cover is fixed to the front side of the frame, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion of the side cover are engaged with the front-rear restricting portion, the up-down restricting portion, and the left-right restricting portion of the front cover, respectively, to restrict the positions of the side cover in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction.

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

7. the front-rear regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the left-right regulating portion are provided at the left or right end of the front cover, aligned in the up-down direction; the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion are provided on a front end portion of the side cover so as to be aligned in the up-down direction in correspondence with the front-rear regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the left-right regulating portion, respectively; 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. the two left-right regulating portions, the two front-rear regulating portions, and the one up-down regulating portion are provided at the left or right end of the front cover, aligned in the up-down direction; two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portions are provided at positions corresponding to the two left-right regulating portions, two front-rear regulating portions, and one up-down regulating portion provided on the front cover; 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. The front cover has two left-right regulating portions, two front-rear regulating portions, and one up-down regulating portion, which are arranged in this order from the top in the up-down direction: the left-right regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, the front-rear regulating portion, the front-rear regulating portion, and the left-right regulating portion; The side cover on the left side surface has two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portions, which are provided in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the first engaging portion, and the third engaging portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

10. The front cover has two left-right regulating portions, two front-rear regulating portions, and one up-down regulating portion, which are provided in the following order from the top in the up-down direction: left-right regulating portion, up-down regulating portion, front-rear regulating portion, left-right regulating portion, and front-rear regulating portion, The side cover on the right side surface has two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portions, which are provided in the following order from the top in the vertical direction: the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the third engaging portion, and the first engaging portion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

11. The front cover has an engaging portion that engages with a positioning portion of the frame and a fastening portion that is fastened to the frame with a screw.

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

12. The image forming apparatus has an image reading unit disposed above the upper cover for reading image information.

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

13. The front cover is provided with a multi-cover that can be opened and closed.

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

Images