Image forming device

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can improve workability of an operator for a drive unit disposed on a depth side of a housing compared with an electrical substrate arranged in lamination.SOLUTION: A device controller unit 200 supporting a device controller and a controller box unit 100 having a system controller are rotatably provided on the back side of a housing 1A with the device controller unit 200 on the depth side. The controller box unit 100 and the device controller unit 200 rotate to open to the left and right with respect to the housing 1A. The device controller is arranged between a drum driving unit to be controlled and the controller box unit 100 in the fore-and-aft direction. Since the device controller unit 200 is rotatable with respect to the housing 1A, an operator can easily perform maintenance of the drive unit disposed on the depth side compared with the device controller unit 200, which improves workability of the operator for the drive unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

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] An image forming apparatus includes electrical circuit boards, such as a main control board that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus, a drive control board that controls the driving of rotating bodies such as photosensitive drums by motors, and a high-voltage board that controls various voltages used by a power source for charging, developing, or transferring. Photosensitive drums, which are frequently removed and installed for periodic replacement, cleaning, or to fix paper jams, are mounted in a housing (also called the apparatus body) so that an operator can remove and install them from the front. On the other hand, the electrical circuit boards are located on the back side of the apparatus body to prevent users from accidentally accessing them and to avoid getting in the way when removing and installing photosensitive drums.

[0003] Conventionally, a device has been proposed in which a controller box containing a main control board is rotatably mounted on a housing, and an operator can access a drive unit arranged at the back of the housing by rotating the controller box (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-215199 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, a drive control board for controlling drive and a drive unit to be controlled (e.g., a motor) are connected by a bundle of multiple signal lines, and in order to shorten this bundle, the drive control board is placed closer to the drive unit than the main control board. In the case of the device described in Patent Document 1, the drive control board is placed between the drive unit and the controller box in the front-to-rear direction of the image forming device.

[0006] However, in this case, the drive unit is hidden by the drive control board, which reduces the worker's ability to work on the drive unit. For example, when performing maintenance on the drive unit, the worker cannot access the drive unit unless he or she rotates the controller box and then removes the drive control board, which is time-consuming and makes it difficult to work on the drive unit efficiently.

[0007] In view of the above problem, the present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can improve the operator's workability with respect to a drive unit that is arranged further back in the housing than the stacked electrical boards. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, and includes a housing, a photosensitive member provided within the housing, a drive unit that drives and rotates the photosensitive member, a first electrical unit having a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus, and a second electrical unit having a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, the first electrical unit having a first rotation shaft and being rotatable about the first rotation shaft to be openable and closable relative to the housing, and the second electrical unit having a first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft that is rotatable about a thickness direction of the second electrical board. a second rotation axis disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation axis on the opposite side of the first rotation axis of the first electrical unit in a direction perpendicular to the direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the second electrical unit is provided so as to be able to rotate about the second rotation axis to be opened and closed with respect to the housing, the second electrical unit being located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in a thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, and the second electrical unit being disposed so as to be able to rotate about the second rotation axis when the first electrical unit is open an end portion of the second electrical unit opposite to the second rotation shaft is located outside the first rotation shaft of the first electrical unit in the orthogonal direction when the second electrical unit is closed; It is characterized by the fact that Further, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, and includes a housing, a photosensitive member provided within the housing, a drive unit that drives and rotates the photosensitive member, a first electrical unit having a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus, and a second electrical unit having a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, wherein the first electrical unit has a first rotation shaft and is provided so as to be rotatable about the first rotation shaft to be openable and closable relative to the housing, and the second electrical unit is configured to rotate about the first rotation shaft and a second rotation shaft of the first electrical unit in a direction orthogonal to the first rotation shaft and a thickness direction of the second electrical board. has a second pivot axis on the opposite side that is arranged approximately parallel to the first pivot axis, and is arranged to be able to rotate around the second pivot axis to open and close relative to the housing, the second electrical unit is located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in the thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, the second electrical unit is arranged so as to be able to rotate around the second pivot axis when the first electrical unit is open, and the second electrical unit has a connection portion at the end opposite to the second pivot axis that is exposed from the housing and to which an external signal line can be connected. Further, an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, and includes: a housing; a photosensitive member provided within the housing; a drive unit that drives and rotates the photosensitive member; a first electrical unit that has a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus; and a second electrical unit that has a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, wherein the first electrical unit has a first rotation shaft and is provided so as to be able to rotate about the first rotation shaft and open and close with respect to the housing; and the second electrical unit has a second rotation shaft that is disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation shaft on the opposite side of the first rotation shaft of the first electrical unit in a direction orthogonal to the first rotation shaft and the thickness direction of the second electrical board, and is provided so as to be able to rotate about the second rotation shaft and open and close with respect to the housing. The second electrical unit is located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in the thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, and the second electrical unit is arranged so that it can rotate around the second pivot axis when the first electrical unit is open, and the housing is provided with a fastening portion for fixing the second electrical unit with a fastening member and a support portion that supports the second electrical unit from below, and the second electrical unit has a fastened portion to which the fastening member is fastened, and a guide portion at the end side opposite the second pivot axis that is supported by the support portion when the second electrical unit is closed and positions the second electrical unit in a position where it can be fastened with the fastening member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, when a first electrical board and a second electrical board are stacked, the worker's workability with respect to the drive unit arranged further back in the housing than these drive electrical boards can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2A is a rear view showing the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2B is a top view showing the rear side of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the controller box unit closed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus with the controller box unit open. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing a controller box unit, in which (a) is a schematic diagram showing the front side, (b) is an AA' cross-sectional view, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing the rear side. [Figure 7] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the controller box unit and D-control unit open, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view showing an image forming apparatus with the controller box unit and D-control unit removed. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the connector portion of the D-con unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the D-control unit when it is rotated. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are top views illustrating the rotation of the D-control unit, (a) in the closed state, (b) when rotated, and (c) in the open state. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are top views showing a moving holding member in a second embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is before movement, FIG. 10B is during movement, and FIG. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are top views showing a sliding member in a third embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is before movement, FIG. 10B is during movement, and FIG. [Figure 15] A top view showing the D-Con unit when the rotation axis is located on the right side of the back. [Figure 16] Top view showing a D-control unit with three rotation axes. [Figure 17] Top view showing a D-control unit with one rotation axis. [Figure 18] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the image forming system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [First embodiment] <Image forming device> The present embodiment will be described below. First, an overview of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic full-color printer and has a housing 1A (also referred to as the apparatus main body). The housing 1A is provided with a document reading device 160 that reads image information from a document, a display unit that can display various information, and an operation unit 80 that has keys that can input various information in response to user operations. In this specification, the side on which a user stands when operating the operation unit 80 is referred to as the "front (or front)," and the opposite side is referred to as the "rear (or rear)." Furthermore, the left side when viewed from the rear is referred to as the "left," and the right side when viewed from the rear is referred to as the "right." FIG. 1 shows the image forming apparatus 1 as viewed from the front.

[0012] The housing 1A is made of metal and is composed of multiple frames such as a front panel on the front side, a rear panel on the rear side which, together with the front panel, supports the image forming unit (described below), etc., stays which connect the front panel and the rear panel, and pillars which support the front panel, and is fitted with a plastic exterior cover.

[0013] Image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an intermediate transfer type full-color printer in which image forming units SY, SM, SC, and SK that form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are housed within housing 1A (inside the housing) and are arranged facing an intermediate transfer belt 7. Image forming apparatus 1 forms a toner image on recording material S in accordance with image data from a document reading device 160 provided above housing 1A or an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer. Examples of recording material S include sheet materials such as paper, plastic film, and cloth. Note that image forming units SY to SK may be provided in housing 1A so that they can be attached and detached by the user from the front.

[0014] The conveyance process of the recording material S in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. The recording material S is stored in a stacked form in one or more (three in this example) sheet cassettes 4, and is supplied one sheet at a time by a supply roller 5 in accordance with the image formation timing. The recording material S supplied by the supply roller 5 is conveyed to a registration roller 36 arranged midway along a conveyance path 64. The registration roller 36 then performs skew correction and timing correction on the recording material S, and the recording material S is sent to a secondary transfer unit ST. The secondary transfer unit ST is formed by an inner secondary transfer roller 34 and an outer secondary transfer roller 35 that face each other across the intermediate transfer belt 7, and is a nip portion where a toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 7 onto the recording material S by applying a predetermined pressure and a secondary transfer bias.

[0015] The process of forming an image sent to the secondary transfer station ST at the same timing as the process of conveying the recording material S to the secondary transfer station ST described above will now be described. First, the image forming units SY to SK will be described. However, since the image forming units SY to SK for each color are basically the same except for the color of the toner, the following description will be made using the black image forming unit SK as a representative example.

[0016] The image forming unit SK mainly includes a photosensitive drum 3K as a photosensitive member, a charging device 10K, a developing device 20K, and a drum cleaner 35K. The surface of the photosensitive drum 3K, which is rotated by a drum drive unit (see FIG. 2, which will be described later), is uniformly charged in advance by the charging device 10K, and then an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface by an exposure device 2K, which is driven based on image data. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3K is then made visible through toner development by the developing device 20K. The developing device 20K develops the electrostatic latent image with toner contained in the developer to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum 3K.

[0017] Thereafter, a predetermined pressure and primary transfer voltage are applied by primary transfer roller 30K, which is disposed opposite image forming unit SK with intermediate transfer belt 7 sandwiched therebetween, and the toner image formed on photosensitive drum 3K is primarily transferred onto intermediate transfer belt 7. Primary transfer residual toner remaining on photosensitive drum 3K after primary transfer is collected by drum cleaner 35K.

[0018] The intermediate transfer belt 7 is an endless belt stretched by a tension roller 32, a drive roller 33, and a secondary transfer inner roller 34. The drive roller 33, which is driven to rotate by a motor or the like, moves the intermediate transfer belt 7 at a speed corresponding to the rotational speed of the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K. The image formation processes for each color, which are performed in parallel by the image forming units SY to SK described above, are performed at a timing that sequentially superimposes the image onto the toner images of the colors that have been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 7 upstream in the direction of movement. As a result, a full-color toner image is ultimately formed on the intermediate transfer belt 7 and transported to the secondary transfer unit ST. Residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 7 after passing through the secondary transfer unit ST is collected from the intermediate transfer belt 7 by a belt cleaner device 39. The primary transfer rollers 30Y to 30K, the intermediate transfer belt 7, the tension roller 32, the drive roller 33, the secondary transfer inner roller 34, the belt cleaner device 39, and the like may be integrally provided as an intermediate transfer belt unit 800.

[0019] Through the above-described conveying process and image forming process, the timing of the recording material S and the full-color toner image coincides at the secondary transfer section ST, and secondary transfer is performed in which the toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 7 to the recording material S. Thereafter, the recording material S is conveyed to the fixing device 8, where the toner image is fixed to the recording material S by applying heat and pressure.

[0020] In the single-sided mode, in which a toner image is formed on only one side of the recording material S, the recording material S on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 8 is guided to a discharge conveying path 65 and discharged to the outside of the housing 1A by discharge rollers 37. On the other hand, in the double-sided mode, in which a toner image is formed on both sides of the recording material S, the recording material S on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing device 8 is inverted in a reversing conveying path 66 and then conveyed to the registration rollers 36 through a double-sided conveying path 67. Thereafter, the recording material S undergoes the same process as in the single-sided mode, and a toner image is formed on the other side by the fixing device 8, and then the recording material S is guided to the discharge conveying path 65 and finally discharged to the outside of the housing 1A by discharge rollers 37. In this embodiment, a finisher unit 150 that performs post-processing such as stapling on the recording material S discharged from the housing 1A is connected to the housing 1A, so the recording material S that has been post-processed by the finisher unit 150 is placed on a discharge tray 154.

[0021] <Control System> Next, the control system of the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment will be described using Fig. 2 while referring to Fig. 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a large number of electrical circuit boards. The electrical circuit boards are boards on which, for example, a CPU, memory, electronic components, electrical components, connectors, etc. are mounted. The electrical circuit boards include, for example, a system controller 111, a device controller 201, a charging high-voltage circuit board (202, 203), a developing high-voltage circuit board 217, a primary transfer high-voltage circuit board 218, and a paper feed / transport driver circuit board 219, which are connected so as to be able to send and receive electrical signals.

[0022] In this embodiment, the system controller 111 and the device controller 201 operate in coordination with each other in a synchronized manner, thereby controlling the image forming operation on the recording material S. The system controller 111, which serves as a first electrical circuit board, operates by receiving a voltage supply from a DC power supply unit 221 and is a main control board that comprehensively controls the entire image forming apparatus, including the device controller 201. The system controller 111 includes, for example, a CPU 112, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 113 that stores various programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 114 that temporarily stores data, and an external interface (external I / F) 115 that inputs and outputs signals. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 112 is a microprocessor that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 and is the main body of the system controller 111. A storage device 122 (such as an SSD or HDD) that can store electronic data is connected to the system controller 111, and the storage device 122 stores image processing programs, image data, and the like.

[0023] In accordance with the execution of the image forming program, the system controller 111 converts image data acquired from, for example, the document reading device 160 (see FIG. 1) or an external device connected via the external interface 115 into exposure data using the video circuit 216. Thereafter, the system controller 111 controls the exposure devices 2Y to 2K to expose the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K based on the exposure data. The system controller 111 also exposes the photosensitive drums 3Y to 3K based on the exposure data converted from image data read from the storage device 122.

[0024] The system controller 111 is connected to a supply roller 5 for conveying the recording material S, a registration roller 36, a discharge roller 37 (collectively referred to as a sheet conveying device 170), a document reading device 160 (see FIG. 1), etc. The document reading device 160 and the sheet conveying device 170 are supplied with voltage from a DC power supply unit 221 via a device controller 201 connected by a signal line for power supply (referred to as a power supply line).

[0025] The device controller 201, which serves as a second electrical circuit board, has a CPU 252, a ROM 253, and a RAM 254, and controls the finisher unit 150 connected via a connector 207a and other post-processing devices connected via a connector 207b. The device controller 201 is connected to a DC power supply unit 221. The device controller 201 issues commands to the DC power supply unit 221, which can supply DC voltage to each unit at optimal timing according to the control. That is, the DC power supply unit 221 is connected to an AC power supply unit 222 by a power line. The AC power supply unit 222 connects commercial power input from a power outlet to the DC power supply unit 221 via a filter (not shown).

[0026] The DC power supply unit 221 includes a 12V generation circuit 221a, a 24V generation circuit 221b, and a 38V conversion circuit 221c. The DC power supply unit 221 converts AC voltage supplied from the AC power supply unit 222 into DC voltage, and generates DC voltages of 12V, 24V, and 38V using the 12V generation circuit 221a, 24V generation circuit 221b, and 38V conversion circuit 221c to operate various devices. The DC power supply unit 221 also includes a relay board 221d, which is connected to each electrical board (described later) via power lines to distribute voltage to the respective electrical boards. The relay board 221d also has the function of controlling, for example, a cooling fan (not shown) that draws outside air into the device body, the fixing device 8, and the like, and is therefore also connected to the device controller 201 via control signal lines.

[0027] The device controller 201 is also connected to the charging high-voltage boards (202, 203), the developing high-voltage board 217, the primary transfer high-voltage board 218, the paper feed / transport driver board 219, etc. The device controller 201 is also connected to, for example, the drum drive units 40Y-40K and the developing drive units (41, 42). The device controller 201 controls these units in response to commands from the system controller 111. The drum drive units 40Y-40K as drive units are, for example, motors that rotate the photosensitive drums. The developing drive units (41, 42) are, for example, motors that rotate the developing sleeves of the developing devices 20Y-20K. The charging high-voltage boards (202, 203), the developing high-voltage board 217, and the primary transfer high-voltage board 218 generate high voltages required for the charging, developing, and transfer processes. The charging high-voltage board 202 supplies voltage to the charging devices 10Y-10C, and the charging high-voltage board 203 supplies voltage to the charging device 10K. The paper feed / transport driver board 219 controls the supply roller 5 that transports the recording material S, the registration roller 36, the discharge roller 37, and the like (see FIG. 1).

[0028] In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the paper feed / transport driver board 219 is connected to the DC power supply unit 221 via the device controller 201, but this is not limiting. For example, a driver board (not shown) may be provided for each of the supply rollers 5, the registration rollers 36, and the discharge rollers 37, and each driver board may be connected to the DC power supply unit 221.

[0029] The device controller 201 and the system controller 111 may be connected via an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, the device controller 201 and the relay board 221d may be connected via an ASIC.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 3(a) to 5 while referring to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 3(a) is a rear view showing the image forming apparatus 1 when the apparatus main body (housing 1A) is viewed from the rear, and Figure 3(b) is a top view showing the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3(a), a controller box unit 100 and a device controller unit (hereinafter referred to as D-con unit) 200 are rotatably provided in a housing 1A above the rear surface of the image forming apparatus 1, as will be described later. The controller box unit 100 as a first electrical unit is rotatably provided around a first rotation shaft 101, and the D-con unit 200 as a second electrical unit is rotatably provided around a second rotation shaft 102. Meanwhile, the DC power supply unit 221 and AC power supply unit 222 described above are disposed within the housing 1A below the rear surface of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 can operate when the controller box unit 100 and the D-con unit 200 are closed.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the upper rear of the image forming apparatus 1 can be roughly divided into three levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3) in the front-to-rear direction, starting from the level closest to the front. In this embodiment, the first level (Level 1) is equipped with drum drive units 40Y-40K, development drive units (41, 42), and electrical contacts (not shown) for supplying high voltages required for the charging, developing, and transfer processes. The drum drive units 40Y-40K and development drive units (41, 42) have physical interfaces with the photosensitive drums 3Y-3K and development devices 20Y-20K, and are disposed adjacent to the photosensitive drums 3Y-3K and development devices 20Y-20K provided within the housing 1A in the front-to-rear direction.

[0033] The second level (Lev. 2) is equipped with a device controller 201 that controls and supplies voltage to each drive unit arranged on the first level, and charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) that control the supply of voltage to the contact points on the first level. These electrical boards are supported by a board support plate 205 so that they are positioned adjacent to each drive unit arranged on the first level in the shortest possible distance. In this embodiment, the board support plate 205 supports the electrical boards only on one side, and does not support the electrical boards on the two sides opposite the one side. The board support plate 205 is also electrically conductive.

[0034] The board support plate 205 is supported at its left and right ends by the board support plate 205 so as to span the entire area of ​​the board support plate 205 in the left-right direction (width direction). The device controller 201 and the charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) are arranged side by side in a plane on one side of the board support plate 205, which is the rear side of the device. The board support plate 205, device controller 201, and charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) constitute the D-control unit 200. In this way, the D-control unit 200 has the charged high-voltage boards (202, 203) on the surface facing the controller box unit 100 when the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are closed.

[0035] The third level (Lev. 3) is equipped with a system controller 111, a storage device 122, and a metal controller box 110 that houses and supports the system controller 111. The system controller 111 is prone to generating noise due to its characteristic of processing image data and simultaneously processing commands from the operation unit 80 at high speed. Therefore, to prevent the effects of noise from reaching other electrical boards, the system controller 111 is housed in the metal controller box 110. The system controller 111, storage device 122, and controller box 110 constitute the controller box unit 100. The controller box unit 100 has the system controller 111 on the surface facing the D-control unit 200 when the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are closed.

[0036] In this way, space is saved in both the left-right and front-to-back directions to prevent the image forming apparatus 1 from becoming too large, and a high-density arrangement is achieved on the rear side. However, this high density can make it difficult for workers to access the drum drive units 40Y-40K and the development drive units (41, 42) arranged on the first level. Therefore, to allow workers to access the units on the first level with fewer steps, the D-control unit 200 and the controller box unit 100 are each rotatable. The D-control unit 200 and the controller box unit 100 can be rotated without disconnecting the signal lines connected to them. Note that the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are each fixed to the housing 1A with screws or the like when closed, preventing them from opening naturally.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1 with the controller box unit 100 closed, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1 with the controller box unit 100 open.

[0038] 4 and 5, the controller box unit 100 is provided so as to be openable and closable relative to the housing 1A by rotating about a first rotation shaft 101. In this embodiment, when the image forming apparatus 1 is viewed from the back (rear) side, the first rotation shaft 101 is provided at a position closer to the right end of the housing 1A than to the center in the left-right direction.

[0039] In image forming apparatus 1, by arranging user operation systems such as operation unit 80 together on the front side, for example, when performing recovery work after a paper jam, an operator does not have to go around to the back of image forming apparatus 1 to perform the work from the rear. Because the user operation systems are arranged together on the front side, the drive system that applies drive force to each part of the apparatus and the electrical system that performs electrical control are arranged together on the rear side. The electrical system here includes, for example, electrical boards such as a power supply board, high-voltage board, control board, and drive board, as well as electrical wiring systems such as bundles of multiple signal wires that electrically connect them.

[0040] Power supply boards are often equipped with relatively heavy components such as transformers, which can generate noise. Therefore, power supply boards must be shielded by metal plates. Consequently, power supply units, which combine multiple power supply boards, are heavy. Furthermore, power cords are connected to the power supply units to supply power from the power outlet. Since the power cords are heavily coated with safety coating, they are relatively heavy. Therefore, if the power supply unit is located above the device body, the weight of the cord will act on the connector, causing it to come loose, which is undesirable. Therefore, it is preferable to place the power supply unit in the lower area of ​​the enclosure 1A (area A in Figure 5).

[0041] On the other hand, it is desirable to place electrical system units such as high-voltage system boards, control system boards, and drive system boards in locations close to their respective loads to shorten the length of the bundled wires bundling multiple signal lines (bundled wire length), and it is preferable to place them in the area near the image forming units SY to SK (area B in Figure 5).

[0042] Among the electrical units, electrical boards that are particularly susceptible to noise are housed together in the controller box 110. The controller box 110 is formed into a box shape using metal plates to enclose and shield the system controller 111, which is susceptible to noise, and is electrically connected to the housing 1A to match the ground level with that of the housing 1A, thereby ensuring noise resistance.

[0043] <Controller box unit> Next, the configuration of the controller box unit 100 will be described using Figures 6(a) to 6(c) with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The controller box unit 100 has a controller box 110 that houses a system controller 111, and a storage device housing section 120 that houses a storage device 122.

[0044] The controller box unit 100 can rotate relative to the housing 1A around the first rotation shaft 101 of the hinge mechanism 103a while the signal lines remain connected. This is because an operator may perform maintenance on the image forming apparatus 1 with the controller box unit 100 rotated, and is utilized, for example, when initially diagnosing a malfunction. By rotating the controller box unit 100, the operator can access various units located further back in the housing 1A than the controller box 110, without having to remove the controller box 110 from the housing 1A.

[0045] The controller box 110 and the storage device housing 120 each form an independent closed space surrounded by a metal plate, and each house a system controller 111 and a storage device 122 therein. As shown in FIG. 6(c), the controller box 110 and the storage device housing 120 are provided with exterior covers 117 and 125 on their rear sides, respectively, which can be removed independently. The exterior covers 117 and 125 rotate together with the controller box unit 100. The exterior cover 125 of the storage device housing 120 can be removed even when the controller box unit 100 is closed, allowing an operator to access the storage device 122 while the controller box unit 100 is closed.

[0046] When the controller box unit 100 is closed, it is fixed to the housing 1A with screws or the like, but noise prevention measures may be taken by establishing electrical continuity with the housing 1A through the screw fixing portion, hinge rotating portion, and gasket portions (not shown) provided on the upper and lower edges.

[0047] <Dコンユニット> Next, the D-control unit 200 will be described using Figures 7(a) to 10 while referring to Figure 2. Figure 7(a) is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1 in a state where the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are open. Figure 7(b) is an exploded perspective view showing the image forming apparatus 1 in a state where the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are removed.

[0048] The D-control unit 200 is provided so as to be openable and closable relative to the housing 1A by rotating about a second rotation shaft 102 disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation shaft 101 on the opposite side of the controller box unit 100 in an orthogonal direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 and the thickness direction of the device controller 201 when the controller box unit 100 is closed. In this embodiment, when the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are closed, the D-control unit 200 is positioned inside the controller box unit 100 so as to overlap the controller box unit 100. In this case, the D-control unit 200 is positioned between the drum drive units 40Y to 40K and the controller box unit 100 in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the device controller 201. When the controller box unit 100 is open, the D-control unit 200 is arranged so as to be rotatable about the second rotation shaft 102. In this way, the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 are configured to open at the rear (rear) side relative to the housing 1A.

[0049] Along the dashed dotted line shown in Fig. 7(b), a shaft 101a provided on the housing 1A fits into a fitting hole 101b of the controller box unit 100, and a shaft 101c provided on the housing 1A fits into a fitting hole 101d of the controller box unit 100. In other words, the hinge mechanism 103a (see Fig. 6(a)) is composed of two shafts 101a and 101c and two fitting holes 101b and 101d. The shafts 101a and 101c are movable relative to the fitting holes 101b and 101d, respectively, and this allows the controller box unit 100 to be rotatably supported with respect to the housing 1A.

[0050] 7(b), shaft 102a provided on housing 1A fits into fitting hole 102b of D-control unit 200, and shaft 102c provided on housing 1A fits into fitting hole 102d of D-control unit 200. Shafts 102a and 102c are movable relative to fitting holes 102b and 102d, respectively, so that D-control unit 200 is rotatably supported with respect to housing 1A. In other words, a hinge mechanism is formed by shafts 102a and 102c and fitting holes 102b and 102d.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7(a), the controller box unit 100 opens when rotated to the right. When the controller box unit 100 is open, the D-control unit 200, which is located further back (in front of) the controller box unit 100, is exposed. The D-control unit 200 then becomes rotatable and opens when rotated to the left. In this way, the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 open left and right. To prioritize maintainability, it is preferable to configure stacked electrical systems so that they are opened on a hierarchical level. Therefore, by making the controller box unit 100 stacked outside the D-control unit 200 rotatable relative to the housing 1A, it becomes easier for workers to perform maintenance on the D-control unit 200. Furthermore, by making the D-control unit 200 rotatable relative to the housing 1A, it becomes easier for workers to perform maintenance on the drive units located further back than the D-control unit 200 and driven by the D-control unit 200.

[0052] Fig. 8 shows the D-control unit 200 of the first embodiment, and Fig. 9 shows the vicinity of connector portions 207a and 207b of the D-control unit 200. Fig. 10 shows the D-control unit 200 when rotated.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, in the D-control unit 200 of this embodiment, the substrate support plate 205 can be roughly divided into a first support plate 205a and a second support plate 205b. The charged high-voltage substrates (202, 203) are arranged on the first support plate 205a, and the device controller 201 is arranged on the second support plate 205b. A third rotation shaft 206 is provided so that the second support plate 205b can rotate relative to the first support plate 205a. The D-control unit 200 has a first support plate 205a that rotates around the second rotation shaft 102, a third rotation shaft 206 that is arranged substantially parallel to the second rotation shaft 102 and on the opposite side of the first support plate 205a from the second rotation shaft 102 in the left-right direction, and a second support plate 205b that rotates around the third rotation shaft 206 relative to the first support plate 205a.

[0054] The second support plate 205b has shaft portions 206a and 206c, and the first support plate 205a has fitting holes 206b and 206d. The shaft portions 206a and 206c of the second support plate 205b fit into the fitting holes 206b and 206d of the first support plate 205a. This allows the second support plate 205b to rotate relative to the first support plate 205a. The first support plate 205a also has the above-mentioned fitting holes 102b and 102d (see FIG. 7(b)).

[0055] A post-processing device that expands the functions may be connected to the image forming apparatus 1. The post-processing device and the device controller 201 are electrically connected, and the post-processing device performs post-processing while communicating with the device controller 201. In this embodiment, the finisher unit 150 and the device controller 201 are electrically connected, and the recording material S that has been post-processed by the finisher unit 150 is discharged. As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 may have another housing connected to the housing 1A, and in such a case, a signal line that connects to the device controller 201 across the housings exists. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a relay connector portion at the boundary between the housings so that the signal line can be connected to the device controller 201, as this improves the workability during installation.

[0056] In this embodiment, the finisher unit 150 is disposed downstream of the housing 1A in the discharge direction of the recording material S (see FIG. 1). Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, connectors 207a and 207b, which are connection portions that connect the housing 1A and the housing of the finisher unit 150 via signal lines, are exposed from the housing 1A on the right end side opposite the second rotation shaft 102 so that external signal lines can be connected. In this embodiment, the connectors 207a and 207b are disposed vertically above and below the right end of the second support plate 205b. For example, a signal line connecting the finisher unit 150 is connected to the vertically upper connector 207a, and a signal line connecting a post-processing device other than the finisher unit 150 is connected to the vertically lower connector 207b.

[0057] The connector portions (207a, 207b) are used for connection to a post-processing device arranged downstream of the housing 1A, and are therefore arranged downstream in the D-connector unit 200. The connector portions (207a, 207b) are preferably provided on the downstream side of the D-connector unit 200 so as to be exposed from the housing 1A. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first connector portion 207a is provided so as to be exposed from an opening 301 formed in the right side surface of the housing 1A, and the second connector portion 207b is provided so as to be exposed from a notch 310 formed in the right side surface of the housing 1A.

[0058] Furthermore, since the connector parts (207a, 207b) are relay parts for connecting the post-processing device and the device controller 201 as described above, it is preferable that the connector parts (207a, 207b) are provided in the D-control unit 200. In this way, when rotating the D-control unit 200, the worker can rotate the connector parts (207a, 207b) integrally with the device controller 201 without disconnecting them from the device controller 201, improving the workability of the worker during maintenance.

[0059] In this embodiment, as described above, the controller box unit 100 is disposed outside the D-control unit 200, and as shown in FIG. 10, the first pivot shaft 101 is provided on the right side of the housing 1A. The above-described connector portions (207a, 207b) are disposed in a position forward of the first pivot shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 in the front-to-rear direction and exposed from the right side surface. In other words, since the D-control unit 200 is disposed so as to be stacked on the controller box unit 100 in the front-to-rear direction, a portion of the connector portions (207a, 207b) overlaps the projection plane of the first pivot shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100. In this case, the right end portion of the D-control unit 200 opposite the second pivot shaft 102 is located to the right of the first pivot shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 in the left-to-right direction when the D-control unit 200 is closed (see FIG. 11(a) described below).

[0060] As described above, if the end of the D control unit 200 opposite the second pivot shaft 102 is located to the right of the first pivot shaft 101, simply rotating the D control unit 200 around the second pivot shaft 102 may be hindered by the first pivot shaft 101. Therefore, in this embodiment, a third pivot shaft 206 is provided in the D control unit 200 so that the second support plate 205b can rotate relative to the first support plate 205a. The rotation of the D control unit 200 will be described below with reference to Figures 11(a) to 11(c). Figure 11(a) shows the closed state before the D control unit 200 rotates, Figure 11(b) shows the D control unit 200 rotating, and Figure 11(c) shows the open state after the D control unit 200 rotates.

[0061] 11(a), the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 is disposed on the right side, and the second rotation shaft 102 of the D-control unit 200 is provided on the left side. That is, the controller box unit 100 rotates to the right with its left end as the rotation end, and the D-control unit 200 rotates to the left with its right end as the rotation end.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 11(b), when D control unit 200 is opened, first support plate 205a rotates in the direction of arrow M2 relative to housing 1A around second rotation shaft 102. Simultaneously, second support plate 205b rotates in the direction of arrow M3 relative to first support plate 205a around third rotation shaft 206. In this way, when D control unit 200 is opened, second support plate 205b rotates so as to bend inward relative to first support plate 205a. As a result, the right end of second support plate 205b is moved to a position where it does not overlap first rotation shaft 101 in projection. In this way, since the right end of second support plate 205b is moved to a position where it does not overlap first rotation shaft 101 in projection, as shown in FIG. 11(c), D control unit 200 can be rotated widely around second rotation shaft 102 and opened without being hindered by first rotation shaft 101.

[0063] Thus, in this embodiment, the first support plate 205a and the second support plate 205b are configured to be rotatable by the third rotation shaft 206. In this way, as described above, since the connector portions (207a, 207b) are provided on the rotating end side of the D-connector unit 200, even if the rotating end of the D-connector unit 200 is on the right side of the first rotation shaft 101 in the closed state, the D-connector unit 200 can be rotated. As a result, the connector portions (207a, 207b) can be provided on the rotating end side of the D-connector unit 200, which is easy to expose from the housing 1A and easy to connect the signal lines from the external finisher unit 150.

[0064] Note that the first support plate 205a and the second support plate 205b are provided by a hinge mechanism 209 having a third rotation shaft 206 so that the second support plate 205b does not bend toward the back side (opposite to the direction of arrow M3) with respect to the first support plate 205a. The hinge mechanism 209, as a restricting portion, restricts the rotation direction of the second support plate 205b with respect to the first support plate 205a.

[0065] <Fastening Structure of D-Connector Unit> In the case of this embodiment, in the closed state, the rotating end side (here, the right end side) of the D-connector unit 200 is fastened to the housing 1A by screws, and thus is fixed so as not to be rotatable with respect to the housing 1A. However, since the D-connector unit 200 rotates about the second rotation shaft 102 provided on one end side (here, the left end side), it is likely to be displaced under the influence of the play between the second rotation shaft 102 and the third rotation shaft 206. Then, the end side (rotating end side) on the side opposite to the second rotation shaft 102 may hang down in the direction of gravity more than the one end side. Then, when the operator closes the D-connector unit 200 and screws it to the housing 1A, it takes time to position the D-connector unit 200 at a position where the housing 1A can be screwed, which is not preferable. Therefore, in this embodiment, a guide portion is provided on the D-connector unit 200 in order to move it to the screw fastening position of the housing 1A when the D-connector unit 200 is closed. This guide portion will be described using FIG. 12.

[0066] Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of part E in Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 12, a fastening portion 212 having a fastening hole for fastening a screw or the like (fastening member) not shown in order to fix the D-control unit 200 is provided on the right side surface of the housing 1A so as to protrude in the left-right direction from the right side surface. Also, a support portion 211 for supporting the rotation end side of the D-control unit 200 (a guide portion 210, which will be described in detail later) from below is provided on the right side surface of the housing 1A so as to protrude in the left-right direction from the right side surface. This support portion 211 also has a fastening hole formed therein for fastening a screw. The fastening portion 212 having the fastening hole and the support portion 211 are provided at positions separated in the up-down direction within the housing 1A.

[0067] On the other hand, D-control unit 200 (more specifically, second support plate 205b) is provided at its rotation end with upper fastening portion 214 on the top side in the vertical direction that can be fitted into a fastening hole of fastening portion 212 and screwed, and lower fastening portion 213 on the bottom side that can be fitted into a fastening hole of support portion 211 and screwed. Also, at the rotation end of D-control unit 200, guide portion 210 is provided that extends in the left-right direction on the surface that supports device controller 201. When D-control unit 200 is rotated closed, guide portion 210 is supported from below by support portion 211 provided on housing 1A.

[0068] Guide portion 210 has inclined portion 210a that is inclined so that the rotation end side faces upward in the left-right direction. When D-control unit 200 is closed, guide portion 210 comes into contact with support portion 211. At that time, inclined portion 210a of guide portion 210 abuts support portion 211, and D-control unit 200 moves so that the rotation end side is lifted upward according to the inclination of inclined portion 210a. Then, when guide portion 210 is placed on support portion 211, D-control unit 200 is supported from below by support portion 211. Support portion 211 is formed so that, when supporting D-control unit 200, fastening portion 212 and upper fastened portion 214 are approximately aligned, and fastening holes of support portion 211 and lower fastened portion 213 are approximately aligned. As a result, when D-control unit 200 is closed, support portion 211 positions D-control unit 200 at the screw fastening position of housing 1A. Therefore, even if the rotation end side of the D-control unit 200 hangs down in the direction of gravity more than the other end side, the worker can smoothly position the D-control unit 200 at the screw fastening position of the housing 1A and fasten it with the screws.

[0069] As a configuration for positioning the D-connector unit 200 at the screw fastening position of the housing 1A, for example, the second rotating shaft 102 may be tilted to cancel the sagging portion of the D-connector unit 200. Furthermore, the second rotating shaft 102 may be tilted and then a guide portion 210 having the above-mentioned inclined portion 210a may be provided.

[0070] Incidentally, the D-connector unit 200 is required to be electrically connected to the housing 1A in order to suppress the influence of noise on the electrical circuit board. In this embodiment, the D-connector unit 200 is electrically connected to the housing 1A by being screwed to the fastening portion 212 and the support portion 211. That is, the fastening portion 212 and the support portion 211 provided on the housing 1A, and the upper fastening portion 214 and the lower fastening portion 213 provided on the D-connector unit 200 are conductive.

[0071] To prevent forgetting to fasten the D control unit 200 to the housing 1A, consideration is required to increase the visibility of the fastening portion 212 to make fastening easier. Also, as described above, in the case of this embodiment, when the D control unit 200 is closed, the end (rotation end) opposite the second rotating shaft 102 is located to the right of the first rotating shaft 101. Therefore, when fastening the D control unit 200 with a screw at the end (rotation end) opposite the second rotating shaft 102, it is necessary to ensure that the first rotating shaft 101 does not get in the way so that the worker can fasten the screw.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, the fastening portion 212 is provided on the side surface of the housing 1A in the orthogonal direction, and the screw fastening surface is inclined inward (toward the front side) when viewed from the orthogonal direction. From the viewpoint of improving visibility and screw fastening workability, it is preferable that the screw fastening surface of the fastening portion 212 is inclined at an inclination angle F of 25° or more and 65° or less with respect to the right side surface of the housing 1A. Furthermore, the screw fastening surface of the upper fastened portion 214 of the D-con unit 200 is also inclined in accordance with the inclination of the screw fastening surface of the fastening portion 212. In this way, inclining the screw fastening surface of the fastening portion 212 and the screw fastening surface of the upper fastened portion 214 makes it easier to ground the upper fastened portion 214 to the fastening portion 212 when closing the D-con unit 200.

[0073] As described above, in this embodiment, the D-control unit 200 supporting the device controller 201 and the controller box unit 100 having the system controller 111 are rotatably mounted on the rear side of the housing 1A with the D-control unit 200 at the rear. The controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 rotate to open left and right relative to the housing 1A. The device controller 201 is disposed between the controller box unit 100 and the drive units to be controlled, such as the drum drive units 40Y-40K and the development drive units (41, 42), in the front-to-rear direction. Because the controller box unit 100 is rotatable relative to the housing 1A, workers can easily perform maintenance on the D-control unit 200. Furthermore, because the D-control unit 200 is rotatable relative to the housing 1A, workers can easily perform maintenance on drive units located further back than the D-control unit 200. In this way, workers can easily access drive units hidden by the D-control unit 200 simply by rotating the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200. That is, when the drive unit is arranged on the inner side of the electrical circuit boards of the system controller 111, device controller 201, etc., which are arranged in a stacked manner, the worker's workability with the drive unit is improved.

[0074] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the second support plate 205b is rotated relative to the first support plate 205a around the third rotation shaft 206 so that the rotation of the D control unit 200 is not hindered by the first rotation shaft 101 (see FIG. 11(b)), but this configuration is not limiting. A second embodiment in which the D control unit 200A can be rotated so that the rotation is not hindered by the first rotation shaft 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13(a) to 13(c).

[0075] 13(a), in the second embodiment, D control unit 200A does not have third rotation shaft 206, but instead is provided with a movable holding member 140 that can move D control unit 200A in the left-right direction while it is closed relative to housing 1A. One end of movable holding member 140 has rotation shaft 130, and one end is attached to housing 1A so as to be rotatable about rotation shaft 130, while the other end is attached to second rotation shaft 102 of D control unit 200A to hold D control unit 200A so as to be rotatable about second rotation shaft 102.

[0076] As shown in Figure 13(b), the movable holding member 140 as a movable member rotates around the rotation shaft 130, and the D control unit 200A is moved left and right in a closed state relative to the housing 1A. As a result, the right end of the D control unit 200A is moved to a position where it does not overlap the first rotation shaft 101 in projection. In this way, the right end of the second support plate 205b is moved to a position where it does not overlap the first rotation shaft 101 in projection, and therefore, as shown in Figure 13(c), the D control unit 200A can be rotated largely around the second rotation shaft 102 without being hindered by the first rotation shaft 101.

[0077] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment in which the D control unit 200A can be rotated so that rotation is not hindered by the first rotation shaft 101 will be described with reference to Figures 14(a) to 14(c). As shown in Figure 14(a), in the third embodiment, a slide member 240 is provided that can move the D control unit 200A in the left-right direction while it is closed relative to the housing 1A. The slide member 240 as a moving member holds at least the D control unit 200A together with the second rotation shaft 102.

[0078] As shown in Figure 14(b), slide member 240 is provided so as to be slidable in the left-right direction relative to housing 1A, and by sliding, D control unit 200A slides left-right while remaining closed relative to housing 1A. As a result, the right end of D control unit 200A is moved to a position where it does not overlap first rotating shaft 101 when projected. In this way, the right end of second support plate 205b is moved to a position where it does not overlap first rotating shaft 101 when projected, so that D control unit 200A can be rotated largely around second rotating shaft 102 without being hindered by first rotating shaft 101, as shown in Figure 14(c).

[0079] [Other embodiments] In the first embodiment described above, the D control unit 200 has the second pivot shaft 102 and the third pivot shaft 206 so that the rotation of the D control unit 200 is not hindered by the first pivot shaft 101 (see FIG. 8 ). However, this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 16 , the D control unit 200B may have a configuration in which the substrate support plate 205 is divided into a first support plate 205a, a second support plate 205b, and a third support plate 205c, with the third pivot shaft 206 and the fourth pivot shaft 208 provided between the first support plate 205a, the second support plate 205b, and the third support plate 205c. That is, compared to the D control unit 200 of the first embodiment, the D control unit 200B has a fourth pivot shaft 208 disposed substantially parallel to the third pivot shaft 206 on the opposite side of the second support plate 205b from the third pivot shaft 206 in the transverse direction, and a third support plate 205c that pivots about the fourth pivot shaft 208 relative to the second support plate 205b.

[0080] When D control unit 200B is opened, first support plate 205a rotates toward the rear side around second rotating shaft 102, and second support plate 205b rotates toward the rear side around third rotating shaft 206, bending its rotating end inward relative to first support plate 205a. Third support plate 205c rotates toward the rear side around fourth rotating shaft 208, bending its rotating end toward the rear side relative to second support plate 205b. This causes the right end of third support plate 205c to move to a position where it does not overlap first rotating shaft 101. By moving the right end of third support plate 205c to a position where it does not overlap first rotating shaft 101, D control unit 200B can be rotated widely around second rotating shaft 102 and opened without its rotation being hindered by first rotating shaft 101.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, the second rotation shaft 102 of the D-control unit 200 is provided on the left side, and the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 is provided on the right side. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , the second rotation shaft 102 of the D-control unit 200 may be provided on the right side, and the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100 may be provided on the left side. In this configuration, if the discharge direction of the recording material S is to the right, the above-mentioned connectors (207a, 207b, see FIG. 8 ) are provided on the second rotation shaft 102 side of the D-control unit 200. Conversely, if the discharge direction of the recording material S is to the left, the connectors (207a, 207b) are provided on the left end of the D-control unit 200 opposite the second rotation shaft 102. This facilitates electrical connection with a post-processing device connected downstream in the discharge direction of the recording material S.

[0082] When stacked on the controller box unit 100, the D control unit 200 may be arranged so that, in the closed state, the rotation end of the D control unit 200 is to the left of the first rotation shaft 101 of the controller box unit 100. Such a configuration is shown in FIG. 17. As shown in FIG. 17, if the rotation end of the D control unit 200 is positioned so as not to overlap with the first rotation shaft 101, the rotation of the D control unit 200 about the second rotation shaft 102 is not hindered by the first rotation shaft 101. Therefore, in this case, it is not necessary to adopt a configuration in which the D control unit 200 rotates so that the rotation is not hindered by the first rotation shaft 101, as shown in the first and second embodiments. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, a single board support plate 205 is configured, and on this board support plate 205, the device controller 201, charged high-voltage boards (202, 203), and connector sections (207a, 207b) are provided, although not shown here. In this way, by configuring the controller box unit 100 and the D-control unit 200 to be rotatable, it is easy for an operator to perform maintenance on the drive unit disposed further back than the D-control unit 200.

[0083] <Image forming system> In each of the above-described embodiments, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a finisher unit 150, and electrical connection with the finisher unit 150 is made via connector portions (207a, 207b). Each of the above-described embodiments can also be adopted in image forming systems with other configurations. Figure 18 shows an image forming system 1X equipped with an image forming apparatus 500.

[0084] In the image forming system 1X, unlike the image forming apparatus 1 described above, the image forming units SY-SK, which perform the transfer process of transferring a toner image onto a recording material S, and the intermediate transfer belt unit 800 (see FIG. 1) are housed in a housing 500A of the image forming apparatus 500. The fixing device 8 is housed in a housing 600A of the fixing / conveying device 600, which is separate from the image forming apparatus 500. That is, the fixing / conveying device 600, which houses the fixing device 8, is connected to the image forming apparatus 500 so that the recording material S can be handed over. The image forming apparatus 500 and the fixing / conveying device 600 each have their own independent housings 500A and 600A, respectively, and are movable using multiple casters provided on each. This allows the image forming apparatus 500 and the fixing / conveying device 600 to be packaged and transported separately from the housings 500A and 600A, even if they are large devices, improving the workability up to installation. The configuration of the image forming apparatus 500 is almost the same except that it does not have a fixing device 8 and a conveying path for the recording material S is formed so that it can be transferred between the fixing conveying device 600 and the image forming apparatus 500, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0085] 18 also includes a large-capacity feeding device 106 having multiple sheet storage compartments and a sensing device 107. The large-capacity feeding device 106 is a device that supplies recording material S to the image forming apparatus 500. The sensing device 107 is a device that reads a fixed toner image formed on one or both sides of the recording material S and feeds it back to the image forming apparatus 500 as an image signal. The image forming apparatus 500 detects deviations in image density and image position based on the fed-back image signal and corrects image data based on the detected deviations in image density and image position. The image forming units SY to SK are then controlled based on the corrected image data to form a toner image on the recording material S. Note that the fixing and conveying device 600 and the sensing device 107 are located downstream of the image forming apparatus 500 in the conveying direction (here, from left to right) of the recording material S by the large-capacity feeding device 106.

[0086] The fixing and conveying device 600 will now be described. The fixing and conveying device 600 includes a fixing device 8 and a cooling unit 302. The fixing device 8 includes a heating roller 8a heated by a heater (not shown) and a pressure roller 8b that presses the recording material S against the heating roller 8a. The recording material S, which has a toner image formed thereon and is conveyed from the image forming device 500, is heated and pressurized while being sandwiched and conveyed in the fixing nip formed by the heating roller 8a and the pressure roller 8b. This fixes the toner image to the recording material S. Note that while the fixing device 8 is shown here as an example consisting of a pair of rollers, the heating roller 8a and the pressure roller 8b, this is not limiting. For example, a fixing device may include a fixing belt instead of the heating roller 8a, and heat and pressurize the recording material S while sandwiching and conveying it in the fixing nip formed by the fixing belt heated by a heater and the pressure roller 8b, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material S.

[0087] The recording material S heated by the fixing device 8 is cooled by a cooling unit 302 and then discharged toward the sensing device 107. The cooling unit 302 includes conveyor belts 302a and 302b and a heat sink 303. The conveyor belts 302a and 302b contact each other to sandwich and convey the recording material S. The heat sink 303 is disposed in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the conveyor belt 302a and cools the conveyor belt 302a. As a result, the recording material S heated by the fixing device 8 is cooled while being sandwiched and conveyed between the conveyor belts 302a and 302b. The recording material S is then discharged from the housing 600A toward the sensing device 107 via a paper discharge conveyance path 304. In the double-sided printing mode, the recording material S with a toner image fixed on one side is not discharged from the housing 600A but is conveyed to a re-conveyance path 305 and returned to the image forming apparatus 500.

[0088] In such an image forming system 1X, the above-mentioned controller box unit 100 and D-control unit 200 are provided on the rear side of a housing 500A of the image forming apparatus 500. Of the connectors (207a, 207b, see FIG. 8) provided on the D-control unit 200, the connector 207a on the upper vertical side is electrically connected to the fixing and conveying device 600, and the connector 207b on the lower vertical side is electrically connected to the sensing device 107.

[0089] 19 shows a block diagram of the control system of the image forming system 1X described above. Note that the same components as those in the control system of the first embodiment described above (see FIG. 2) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted. The device controller 201 is connected to the fixing device 8, cooling unit 302, and each conveying roller of the fixing and conveying device 600 by signal lines via the connector 207a. That is, the device controller 201 controls the fixing device 8 and cooling unit 302, and controls the rotation of each conveying roller.

[0090] The device controller 201 is also connected to the sensing device 107 by a signal line via a connector 207b. An image signal of the toner image read by the sensing device 107 is input to the system controller 111 via the device controller 201. The sensing device 107 and the system controller 111 may also be directly connected by a signal line.

[0091] The fixing and conveying device 600 may be provided with a power supply unit separate from the image forming device 500. In this case, the fixing device 8 and the cooling unit 302 are connected to the power supply unit via a power line within the housing 600A of the fixing and conveying device 600, and voltage is supplied to them. However, since the control of the conveyance of the recording material S is performed by the device controller 201, the control signal line is connected to the device controller 201.

[0092] The above-described embodiments can also be adopted in the image forming system 1X in which processing devices such as the fixing and conveying device 600 and the sensing device 107 are connected to the image forming device 500. This improves the ease of operation of the drive unit by an operator when the drive unit is arranged further back than the stacked electrical circuit boards such as the system controller 111 and the device controller 201.

[0093] Although not shown, one or more combinations of various post-processing devices such as an inserter, puncher, case binder, large-capacity stacker, folder, finisher, trimmer, etc. can be selectively connected downstream of the fixing and conveying device 600 or the sensing device 107. In this way, by selectively connecting various optional devices upstream and downstream of the image forming device 500, it becomes possible to inline output products that have been subjected to various post-processing processes on various materials, and an image forming system 1X that excels in high productivity, high image quality, high stability, and high functionality can be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 (500)...image forming apparatus, 1A (500A)...housing, 3Y (3M, 3C, 3K)...photosensitive member (photosensitive drum), 40Y (40M, 40C, 40K)...driving section (drum driving unit), 100...first electrical unit (controller box unit), 101...first rotating shaft, 102...second rotating shaft, 111...first electrical board (system controller), 140...moving member (moving holding member), 200 (200A, 200B)...second electrical unit (device D-controller unit, D-con unit), 201... second electrical board (device controller), 205a... first support plate, 205b... second support plate, 205c... third support plate, 206... third rotating shaft, 207a (207b)... connection portion (connector portion), 208... fourth rotating shaft, 209... regulation portion (hinge mechanism), 210... guide portion, 211... support portion, 212... fastening portion, 214... fastened portion (upper fastened portion), 240... moving member (slide member), S... recording material

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, The housing and a photoreceptor provided within the housing; a drive unit that rotates and drives the photosensitive member; a first electrical unit having a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus; a second electrical unit having a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, the first electrical unit has a first rotation shaft and is provided so as to be rotatable about the first rotation shaft to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit has a second rotation axis disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation axis on the opposite side of the first electrical unit from the first rotation axis in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis and the thickness direction of the second electrical board, and is rotatable about the second rotation axis to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit is located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in a thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, the second electrical unit is arranged to be rotatable about the second rotation shaft when the first electrical unit is in an open state, an end portion of the second electrical unit opposite to the second rotation shaft is positioned outward of the first rotation shaft of the first electrical unit in the orthogonal direction when the second electrical unit is in a closed state; An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, The housing and a photoreceptor provided within the housing; a drive unit that rotates and drives the photosensitive member; a first electrical unit having a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus; a second electrical unit having a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, the first electrical unit has a first rotation shaft and is provided so as to be rotatable about the first rotation shaft to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit has a second rotation axis disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation axis on the opposite side of the first electrical unit from the first rotation axis in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis and the thickness direction of the second electrical board, and is rotatable about the second rotation axis to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit is located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in a thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, the second electrical unit is arranged to be rotatable about the second rotation shaft when the first electrical unit is in an open state, the second electrical unit has a connection portion exposed from the housing on an end side opposite to the second rotation shaft and to which an external signal line can be connected; An image forming apparatus characterized by:

3. the first electrical unit has the first electrical board on a surface facing the second electrical unit when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, the second electrical unit has the second electrical board on a surface facing the first electrical unit when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. the second electrical unit has a first support plate that rotates around the second rotation axis, a third rotation axis that is disposed substantially parallel to the second rotation axis on the opposite side of the first support plate from the second rotation axis in the orthogonal direction, and a second support plate that rotates around the third rotation axis relative to the first support plate.

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

5. the second electrical unit has a restricting portion that restricts a rotational direction of the second support plate so that the second support plate bends inward relative to the first support plate when the second support plate rotates about the third rotation shaft.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

6. the second electrical unit has a fourth rotation shaft disposed substantially parallel to the third rotation shaft on the opposite side of the second support plate from the third rotation shaft in the orthogonal direction, and a third support plate that rotates around the fourth rotation shaft relative to the second support plate.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

7. a moving member that can move the second electrical unit in the orthogonal direction while the second electrical unit is closed relative to the housing, 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

8. an end portion of the second electrical unit opposite to the second rotation shaft is positioned outward of the first rotation shaft of the first electrical unit in the orthogonal direction when the second electrical unit is in a closed state; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

9. the housing is provided with a fastening portion for fixing the second electrical unit with a fastening member and a support portion for supporting the second electrical unit from below, The second electrical unit has a fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened, and a guide portion at an end opposite to the second pivot shaft, which is supported by the support portion when the second electrical unit is closed, and positions the second electrical unit at a position where it can be fastened by the fastening member.

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

10. the fastening portion is provided on a side surface of the housing in the orthogonal direction, and a fastening surface of the fastening member is inclined inward as viewed from the orthogonal direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

11. The fastening portion has a fastening surface of the fastening member inclined at an angle of 25° to 65° with respect to the side surface of the housing.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10.

12. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising: The housing and a photoreceptor provided within the housing; a drive unit that rotates and drives the photosensitive member; a first electrical unit having a first electrical board that controls the entire image forming apparatus; a second electrical unit having a second electrical board that controls the drive unit, the first electrical unit has a first rotation shaft and is provided so as to be rotatable about the first rotation shaft to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit has a second rotation axis disposed substantially parallel to the first rotation axis on the opposite side of the first electrical unit from the first rotation axis in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis and the thickness direction of the second electrical board, and is rotatable about the second rotation axis to be opened and closed relative to the housing; the second electrical unit is located between the drive unit and the first electrical unit in a thickness direction of the second electrical board when the first electrical unit and the second electrical unit are closed, the second electrical unit is arranged to be rotatable about the second rotation shaft when the first electrical unit is in an open state, the housing is provided with a fastening portion for fixing the second electrical unit with a fastening member and a support portion for supporting the second electrical unit from below, The second electrical unit has a fastening portion to which the fastening member is fastened, and a guide portion at an end opposite to the second pivot shaft, which is supported by the support portion when the second electrical unit is closed, and positions the second electrical unit at a position where it can be fastened by the fastening member. An image forming apparatus characterized by:

13. The fastening portion is provided on a side surface of the housing in the orthogonal direction, and the fastening surface of the fastening member is inclined inward when viewed from the orthogonal direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The fastening portion is such that the fastening surface of the fastening member is inclined at an angle of 25° to 65° relative to the side surface of the housing.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13.

Images