Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming device configured to enable a cable to be stored thereon while preventing the cable from interfering with movement of an operation, even though a sufficient extra length is secured in the cable.SOLUTION: An image forming device is provided with a cable support part (112) that forms a space between a top surface 1a of a housing 500A and the part so that a cable extra length part 90a of a signal cable 90 can be housed in the housing 500A. The cable support part (112) supports the cable extra length part 90a housed in the space from below in a vertical direction. A fixture auxiliary member 91 is attached to the signal cable 90 in advance. When an operating part 80 is installed at an installation position, the fixing auxiliary member 91 is fixed to a fixing part 92. A length of the cable extra length part 90a supported on a support surface 112a, of entire lengths of the signal cable 90, varies in accordance with the installation position of the operating part. This enables an extra length part of the signal cable 90 to be housed in the housing 500A even though a sufficient extra length is secured in the signal cable 90, so that signal cable 90 does not interfere.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In an image forming apparatus, an operation unit for a user to perform various operation instructions and detailed settings is disposed on a housing. Conventionally, an image forming apparatus has been proposed in which the housing and the operation unit are separately configured and the moving range of the operation unit with respect to the housing is expanded (Patent Document 1). In the case of the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the cable that electrically connects the housing and the operation unit is set to a length such that it does not contact the ground surface of the image forming apparatus even if the operation unit drops. Usually, the operation unit is installed at a position (referred to as a recommended position) where it is easy for the user to perform operations such as input related to image formation. In a state where the operation unit is installed at the recommended position, a work space with a width where the user can place a recording material is secured on the top surface of the housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, recently, when a user performs maintenance on an image forming apparatus, for example, maintenance procedures are displayed on the operation unit, and the maintenance work is performed while viewing them. The cable is formed to have a length with a margin so that the operation unit can be moved and installed at a position where it is easy for the user to work while viewing the maintenance procedures.

[0005] However, in the case of image forming machines for commercial printing that can form toner images on a large amount of recording material in a short time, the machine is large and the control unit is installed over a wider area, requiring a long excess length of cable, resulting in a long overall cable length. If the cable length is long, even when the control unit is installed in the recommended position, the cable may spread out into the workspace and get in the way of the user. Therefore, even if sufficient excess length is secured in the cable to increase the range of motion of the control unit, there has been a long-standing need for a cable that can be housed so as not to get in the way as the control unit moves, but such a solution has not yet been proposed.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can accommodate the cable so as not to interfere with the movement of the operating part, even if sufficient excess length is secured in the cable to increase the range of movement of the operating part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising: a housing; an operating unit provided separately from the housing for operating the image forming apparatus; an electrical unit provided on the top surface of the housing and having an electrical circuit board capable of controlling the input and output of signals to the operating unit; a cable connecting the operating unit and the electrical circuit board so as to enable the input and output of signals; a fixing auxiliary member attached to the cable and provided so as to be movable while holding the cable in a first position and a second position further from the electrical circuit board than the first position when the operating unit is moved; and a support part provided inside the housing, forming a space between itself and the top surface so as to be able to accommodate the excess length of the cable corresponding to at least the length from the first position to the second position, and supporting the excess length accommodated in the space from below in the vertical direction. The housing has a first fixing portion for detachably fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the first position, and a second fixing portion for detachably fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the second position. It is characterized by the following: Furthermore, an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising: a housing; an operating unit provided separately from the housing for operating the image forming apparatus; an operating unit movably mounted on the top surface of the housing; an electrical unit having an electrical circuit board capable of controlling the input and output of signals to the operating unit; a cable connecting the operating unit and the electrical circuit board so as to enable the input and output of signals; a fixing auxiliary member for holding the cable, the fixing auxiliary member having a first position and a second position further from the electrical circuit board than the first position; and a housing provided inside the housing for housing at least a part of the cable, wherein the housing has a first fixing part for fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the first position and a second fixing part for fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the second position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if sufficient excess length is secured in the cable to increase the range of motion of the operating unit, the cable can be housed so as not to get in the way as the operating unit moves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing an image forming system equipped with the image forming apparatus of this embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram showing the image formation system. [Figure 3] A control block diagram illustrating the electrical unit. [Figure 4] A perspective view showing the control panel. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the control panel, with (a) before angle adjustment and (b) after angle adjustment. [Figure 6] Side view showing the electrical unit and duct. [Figure 7] This is a top view showing the control unit installed in the recommended position, with (a) the top cover not removed and (b) part of the top cover removed. [Figure 8] A perspective view showing the electrical unit and duct. [Figure 9] A perspective view showing the ductwork. [Figure 10] A perspective view showing the case where the control unit is installed on the top surface of the recording material loading device. [Figure 11] This is a top view showing the case where the control unit is installed on the top surface of the recording material loading device, (a) with the top cover intact, and (b) with part of the top cover removed. [Figure 12] A perspective view showing the case where the control unit is installed on the top surface of the power supply unit. [Figure 13] This is a top view showing the case where the control unit is installed on the top surface of the power supply unit, (a) with the top cover intact, and (b) with part of the top cover removed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <Image Forming System> First, an image forming system including the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 2, a recording material loading apparatus 3 capable of loading a recording material S discharged from the image forming apparatus 2, and a power supply apparatus 4. The image forming apparatus 2 is an electrophotographic tandem type full-color printer and operates in response to power supply from the power supply apparatus 4. The power supply apparatus 4 is disposed on the back surface of the image forming apparatus 2.

[0011] In the case of the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 2 is divided into an image forming transfer apparatus 500 and a fixing conveyance apparatus 600, which will be described later. The image forming transfer apparatus 500 and the fixing conveyance apparatus 600, and the fixing conveyance apparatus 600 and the recording material loading apparatus 3 are each connected so as to be able to transfer a recording material (sheet). Examples of the recording material include papers such as plain paper, thick paper, rough paper, embossed paper, coated paper, plastic films, cloth, and the like.

[0012] A bottle storage unit 20 is disposed on the top surface 1a of the image forming transfer apparatus 500, and an electrical unit 70 is disposed in the remaining space of the top surface 1a where the bottle storage unit 20 is disposed. The electrical unit 70 is disposed adjacent to the bottle storage unit 20 in the left-right direction, and the electrical unit 70 and the bottle storage unit 20 are covered by a unit cover 120. An operation unit 80 is connected to the electrical unit 70 via a signal cable 90 so as to be able to supply power and input / output signals, and an external device 101 such as a personal computer is connected to the electrical unit 70 via an interface cable 104 so as to be able to input / output signals.

[0013] The top surface 1c of the fixing and conveying device 600 is formed in a flat shape on which a recording material can be placed as a work space for a user to check an image formed on the recording material or to sort the recording materials. In FIG. 1, an operation unit 80 is installed on the top surface 1c of the fixing and conveying device 600 such that a display (such as a liquid crystal touch panel 82) capable of displaying various information and keys or the like capable of inputting various information according to user operations are positioned on the front side. In this case, since the display (such as a liquid crystal touch panel 82) capable of displaying various information and keys or the like capable of inputting various information that the operation unit 80 has are positioned on the front side, it is easy for a user performing normal printing processing to operate the operation unit 80 (referred to as a recommended position). The recommended position may be provided, for example, to the immediate left of the bottle storage unit 20 and may be on the upper cover 11 that forms a part of the top surface 1a.

[0014] The operation unit 80 is provided so as to be movable. For example, when performing maintenance on the recording material loading device 3 or the power supply device 4, the user can move and install the operation unit 80 on the top surface of the recording material loading device 3 or the top surface of the power supply device 4 where it is easy to work while looking at the procedures displayed on the operation unit 80.

[0015] In this specification, when the operation unit 80 is in the recommended position, the side on which the user stands when operating the operation unit 80 is referred to as "front (or forward)", and the opposite side is referred to as "back (or rear)". Also, the left when viewed from the front is referred to as "left", and the right when viewed from the front is referred to as "right".

[0016] Also, here, an example in which the recording material loading device 3 is connected to the image forming apparatus 2 is shown, but it is not limited to this. A post-processing device that performs various post-processing on the recording material on which the toner image is fixed may be connected to the image forming apparatus 2. As the post-processing device, for example, one or a plurality of devices that perform various post-processing such as an inserter, a puncher, a bookbinding machine, a folding machine, a finisher, a trimmer, etc. may be combined and connected. Thus, in the image forming system 1 shown in FIG. 1, various post-processing devices are selectively connected to the image forming apparatus 2 in order to be able to output the recording material S as a product obtained by performing various post-processing on various materials in-line.

[0017] In this embodiment, the housing 500A of the image forming transfer apparatus 500 and the housing 600A of the fixing and transporting apparatus 600 are formed separately and are movable by multiple casters provided on each. As a result, even if the image forming transfer apparatus 500 and the fixing and transporting apparatus 600 are large, it is possible to pack and transport them separately in the housing 500A and housing 600A, improving work efficiency up to installation.

[0018] The image forming and transfer apparatus 500 will now be described. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 500A of the image forming and transfer apparatus 500 contains a sheet feeding unit 30, an image forming unit 40, and part of the sheet transport unit 50.

[0019] The sheet feeding unit 30 is located at the bottom of the housing 500A and has a cassette 31 for loading and storing the recording material S and a feeding roller 32, and feeds the recording material S toward the image forming unit 40. The sheet transport unit 50 is provided to be able to transfer the recording material S across housing 500A and housing 600A. The sheet transport unit 50 has a secondary transfer transport path 51, a pre-fixing transport path 52, a discharge path 53, and a re-transport path 54, and transports the recording material S fed from the sheet feeding unit 30 between the image forming transfer apparatus 500 and the fixing transport apparatus 600.

[0020] The image forming unit 40 forms a toner image on the recording material S according to image data received from an unillustrated document reader or external device 101. The image forming unit 40 has image forming sections 41y, 41m, 41c, and 41k, and an intermediate transfer unit 44, which form a toner image on the recording material S. The image forming sections 41y to 41k are process units that form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images, respectively, and are each detachably mounted on the housing 500A.

[0021] The intermediate transfer unit 44 has multiple rollers, including primary transfer rollers 44y, 44m, 44c, 44k, a drive roller 44a, a tension roller 44d, and a secondary transfer inner roller 45a, and an intermediate transfer belt 44b wrapped around these rollers. The primary transfer rollers 44y to 44k are positioned opposite the photosensitive drums 47y to 47k, respectively, and are in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 44b. By applying a primary transfer voltage to the primary transfer rollers 44y to 44k using a power supply (not shown), the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 47y to 47k are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b.

[0022] The image forming units 41y to 41k are arranged in a line along the direction of movement of the intermediate transfer belt 44b. The intermediate transfer belt 44b is stretched over multiple rollers (44a, 44d, 45a) and rotated. The intermediate transfer belt 44b then carries and transports the toner image that is to be primary transferred as described later. A secondary transfer outer roller 45b is positioned opposite the secondary transfer inner roller 45a, which stretches the intermediate transfer belt 44b, and forms a secondary transfer unit T2 that transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 44b to the recording material S.

[0023] The image forming units 41y to 41k are substantially identical in configuration except for the difference in the toner image development color. Therefore, the yellow image forming unit 41y will be described as a representative example, and the other image forming units 41m, 41c, and 41k will not be described.

[0024] The image forming unit 41y is equipped with a cylindrical photosensitive drum 47y as a photoreceptor. The photosensitive drum 47y is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). Around the photosensitive drum 47y are a charger 48y, an exposure unit 43y, a developer unit 49y, and a primary transfer roller 44y.

[0025] When the image forming operation begins, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 47y is uniformly charged by the charger 48y. Next, the photosensitive drum 47y is scanned and exposed by laser light corresponding to the image data emitted from the exposure unit 43y. This forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 47y corresponding to the image data. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 47y is developed into a toner image by a developer containing toner and carrier housed in the developer unit 49y. Toner is supplied to the developer unit 49y from a toner bottle 42y filled with replenishment toner. The toner bottle 42y and toner bottles of other colors 42m to 42k are detachably housed in parallel in the left-right direction within the bottle housing unit 20.

[0026] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 47y is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 44b in a primary transfer section, which consists of the drum and the primary transfer roller 44y positioned on either side of the intermediate transfer belt 44b. At this time, a primary transfer voltage is applied to the primary transfer roller 44y. After the primary transfer, any toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 47y is removed by a drum cleaning blade (not shown).

[0027] This process is performed sequentially in the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black image forming units 41y to 41k, superimposing the four toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 44b. Subsequently, the recording material S is transported to the secondary transfer unit T2 in accordance with the toner image formation timing. Then, by applying a secondary transfer voltage to the secondary transfer outer roller 45b, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 44b is transferred to the recording material S all at once. Any toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 44b after the secondary transfer is removed by a belt cleaning device (not shown).

[0028] The recording material S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported from the image forming transfer apparatus 500 to the fixing and transport apparatus 600. The fixing unit 46 and part of the sheet transport unit 50 are arranged inside the housing 600A of the fixing and transport apparatus 600. The fixing unit 46 has a fixing roller 46a heated by a heater (not shown) and a pressure roller 46b that pressurizes the recording material S against the fixing roller 46a. The recording material S on which the toner image has been formed, transported from the image forming transfer apparatus 500, is heated and pressurized while being held and transported in the fixing nip section formed by the fixing roller 46a and the pressure roller 46b. As a result, the toner image is fixed to the recording material S.

[0029] The recording material S, heated by the fuser 46, is transported by the sheet discharge unit 60. The sheet discharge unit 60 has a pair of discharge rollers 61 arranged in the discharge path 53 and a discharge port 62 formed in the housing 600A. The pair of discharge rollers 61 transports the recording material S transported in the discharge path 53 toward the discharge port 62. The discharge port 62 is formed so that the recording material S can be transferred to the recording material loading device 3 connected to the housing 600A.

[0030] The image forming apparatus 2 of this embodiment is capable of forming images on both sides of the recording material S. In the case of single-sided printing, the recording material S with the fixed toner image is transported to the discharge path 53 and discharged outside the housing 600A from the discharge port 62. In the case of double-sided printing, the recording material S with the fixed toner image is transported to the re-transport path 54. In the re-transport path 54, the recording material S is inverted by a switchback operation, and the front and back sides of the recording material S are swapped. The inverted recording material S is returned to the housing 500A, passes through the pre-secondary transfer transport path 51, and is transported to the secondary transfer section T2 with the unprinted back side facing the intermediate transfer belt 44b. In the secondary transfer section T2, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 44b is transferred to the back side of the recording material S all at once. After that, the toner image of the recording material S is fixed by the fuser 46 and transported to the discharge path 53 and discharged outside the housing 600A from the discharge port 62.

[0031] Figure 3 is a control block diagram showing a part of the control performed by the electrical unit 70. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the electrical unit 70 has electrical boards such as a relay board 71, a main control board 72, and an exposure control board 73, and a storage device 74 such as a solid-state drive or a hard disk drive (SSD, HDD). The electrical board is a board on which components such as a CPU, memory, electronic components, electrical components, and connectors are mounted. In addition to those shown, the electrical unit 70 may also be connected to a developing board that controls the developing units 49y to 49k, but these are not relevant to the main point of the invention, so their illustration and description are omitted here.

[0032] The main control board 72 includes, for example, a CPU 75, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 76 that stores various programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 77 that temporarily stores data, and an input / output circuit (I / F) 78 that inputs and outputs signals. The storage device 74 is a removable, high-capacity storage device for storing data, mainly image processing programs and digital image data.

[0033] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 75 is a microprocessor that controls the entire image forming system 1 and is the main component of the main control board 72. The CPU 75 can read image processing programs and digital image data from the storage device 74 and perform image formation on the recording material S in accordance with the execution of the image processing program. The CPU 75 is connected via input / output circuits 78 to the exposure control board 73 for controlling the exposure units 43y~43k (see Figure 2), a relay board 71 such as an interface board for inputting and outputting signals to and from external devices 101, the storage device 74, the operation unit 80, and so on.

[0034] The operation unit 80 includes a driver board 81 and a liquid crystal touch panel 82. The liquid crystal touch panel 82 can display various information for the user to operate the image forming apparatus 2, such as messages notifying the remaining amount of recording material in the cassette 31 and the remaining amount of toner in the developer units 49y~49k, as well as warning messages and replenishment procedures for when these consumables are depleted. The liquid crystal touch panel 82 can also accept various inputs related to image formation by the user, such as the size and basis weight of the recording material S, the image density, and the number of prints. The driver board 81 is a board that controls the power supplied from the power supply 12 to the liquid crystal touch panel 82 in order to enable the liquid crystal touch panel 82 to perform the above-mentioned display and input acceptance.

[0035] The control unit 80 is connected to the electrical unit 70 (specifically the main control board 72) by a signal cable 90. The main control board 72 is connected to the control unit 80 by the signal cable 90, enabling it to control the input and output of signals to the control unit 80. The signal cable 90 consists of a signal line 901 and a power line 902, and may be a bundle of the signal line 901 and power line 902, or they may be separate signal line 901 and power line 902. The signal line 901 connects the input / output circuit 76 of the main control board 72 to the driver board 81, and the power line 902 connects the power supply 12 to the driver board 81. The power supply 12 is housed in the power supply unit 4.

[0036] The relay board 71 is electrically connected to the input / output circuit 78 of the main control board 72, and is also electrically connected to the external device 101 via an interface cable 104. The external device 101 has an external controller 102 and an external display 103, and the main control board 72 can control the external controller 102 via the relay board 71. By controlling the external controller 102, the main control board 72 can, for example, display the various information described above on the external display 103, or send and receive various data such as image data with the external device 101.

[0037] The operation unit 80 will now be described. As shown in Figure 4, the operation unit 80 comprises a liquid crystal touch panel 82 and an operation unit cover 83, and a driver board 81 for controlling the operation unit 80 is provided inside. A signal cable 90 is connected to the driver board 81. As shown in Figure 5(a), when the operation unit cover 83 is installed, it is formed in a shape that tilts the liquid crystal touch panel 82 toward the front. By tilting the liquid crystal touch panel 82, it becomes easier for the user to view and operate the liquid crystal touch panel 82. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b), the operation unit cover 83 has a flapper portion 84 on the contact surface, and the operation unit 80 is rotatable around the pivot axis 85 of the flapper portion 84. When the operation unit 80 rotates, the degree of tilt of the liquid crystal touch panel 82 increases. In this way, the user can adjust the height of the operation unit 80.

[0038] Next, the support configuration for the signal cable 90 connecting the electrical unit 70 and the control unit 80 will be explained using Figures 6 to 9 with reference to Figures 1 and 3. Figures 6 to 9 show an example where the control unit 80 is installed in the recommended position described above.

[0039] As shown in Figure 6, the main control board 72 is positioned with its thickness in the front-to-back direction and is located on the front side of the electrical unit 70. The storage devices 74 are positioned with their thickness in the front-to-back direction and their length in the left-to-right direction, i.e., horizontally upright, and are stacked on the back side of the main control board 72 within the electrical unit 70. The storage devices 74 are mounted in a storage medium holder 74a, and the storage medium holder 74a can hold multiple (in this case, two) storage devices 74 in the front-to-back direction. This allows for the efficient arrangement of one or more storage devices 74 in the limited space within the electrical unit 70. Furthermore, the relay board 71 is positioned with its thickness in the front-to-back direction and is located on the back side of the main control board 72 within the electrical unit 70, below the storage devices 74, arranged vertically. In Figure 6, the exposure control board 73 is located behind the relay board 71.

[0040] The image forming apparatus 2 has a cable holder 79, a fixing auxiliary member 91, a fixing part 92, and a cable support part (112) to support the signal cable 90 connected to the operating unit 80. The cable holder 79 is provided on the plate cover 13 of the electrical unit 70 fixed to the housing 500A and holds one end of the signal cable 90 so that the connection terminal 93 of the signal cable 90 does not come off the main control board 72.

[0041] The fixing support member 91 is pre-attached to the signal cable 90. The fixing support member 91 is attached to the signal cable 90 at a position close to the operating unit 80. Specifically, the fixing support member 91 is attached at an arbitrary position such that the length of the signal cable 90 from the operating unit 80 to the fixing support member 91 is such that even if the operating unit 80 falls from any of the multiple installation positions described later, it will not reach the installation surface (floor) of the image forming apparatus 2.

[0042] The first fixing part, fixing part 92, is provided on the housing 500A and detachably fixes the fixing auxiliary member 91 attached to the signal cable 90. In this embodiment, in addition to the fixing part 92 provided on the housing 500A, fixing parts 921 and 922 are also provided on the top surface of the recording material loading device 3 and the top surface of the power supply device 4 (see Figures 10 and 12 described later). The fixing auxiliary member 91 is fixed to one of these multiple fixing parts (92, 921, 922) depending on the change in the installation position of the operating unit 80. That is, the fixing auxiliary member 91 is attached to the signal cable 90 and is provided so as to be able to move the operating unit 80 while holding the signal cable 90, for example, between the housing 500A (first position) and the recording material loading device 3 (second position), which is further from the main control board 72 than the housing 500A.

[0043] In this way, by fixing the signal cable 90 to the fixing part 92 via the fixing auxiliary member 91, the signal cable 90 is routed within a predetermined range on the top surface 1c corresponding to the installation position of the operating unit 80, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b). The fixing auxiliary member 91 and cable holder 79 also prevent damage to the connection terminals 93 of the signal cable 90 and the main control board 72 if the signal cable 90 is suddenly pulled with great force.

[0044] As described above, if the installation position of the operating unit 80 can be changed relative to the image forming apparatus 2, a signal cable 90 of sufficient length is required to connect the operating unit 80 and the main control board 72, even if the operating unit 80 is installed at the position furthest from the main control board 72. That is, the signal cable 90 has an excess length portion (for convenience, referred to as the cable excess length portion 90a) that is at least long enough to cover the distance from the installation position closest to the main control board 72 to the installation position furthest from the main control board 72. However, because the signal cable 90 has excess length, there is a risk that it will spread out indefinitely on the top surface 1c and become an obstruction to the user.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7(b) and 8, the excess cable portion 90a is housed within the housing 500A. To achieve this, a cable support portion (112) is provided inside the housing 500A (inside the housing) to support the excess cable portion 90a. The bottom surface of the electrical unit 70 and the top surface 1a of the housing 500A are partially open to allow the signal cable 90 to pass through the cable support portion (112).

[0046] The cable support portion (112) forms a space between itself and the top surface 1a of the housing 500A so as to accommodate the excess cable portion 90a, and supports the excess cable portion 90a housed in this space from below in the vertical direction. The cable support portion (112) has a support surface 112a that supports the excess cable portion 90a. The signal cable 90 is supported on the support surface 112a of the cable support portion (112) with at least a portion of the excess cable portion 90a bent.

[0047] In this embodiment, a duct 112 that allows air to pass between the inside and outside of the housing 500A is used as the cable support. By using the duct 112, it is not necessary to provide a separate cable support, which contributes to miniaturization of the image forming apparatus 2 and reduces costs. As shown in Figures 7(b) and 8, the duct 112 is located inside the housing 500A, on the front side of the electrical unit 70 and below the upper cover 11.

[0048] As shown in Figure 9, an intake fan 113 is provided inside the duct 112 to draw in air from outside the housing 500A. An intake port 114 is provided on the front of the housing 500A, and the air drawn in through the intake port 114 as the intake fan 113 operates is sent towards the image forming section 41y~41k and other parts inside the housing 500A. The drawn-in air is used, for example, to collect discharge products such as ozone generated due to the charging of the charger 48y~48k, or to suppress the temperature rise of the developer 49y~49k due to the toner stirring operation inside the developer 49y~49k.

[0049] The upper surface of the duct 112 is a support surface 112a that supports the signal cable 90 (specifically, the excess cable length 90a). The support surface 112a is provided with a plurality of guide ribs 115 that protrude upward. When the signal cable 90 is housed, it passes between a pair of guide ribs 115 that are paired with each other in the left-right direction, and is supported by the support surface 112a. These pair of guide ribs 115, acting as restrictors, restrict the movement of the signal cable 90 in a direction intersecting the housed direction (left-right direction) when the signal cable 90 is housed, while the signal cable 90 moves along the support surface 112a in the housed direction (arrow X direction). As a result, when the operating unit 80 moves, the signal cable 90 moves along the support surface 112a within a predetermined range on the support surface 112a, and does not come off the support surface 112a and hang down.

[0050] Furthermore, a sheet material 116 is provided at the tips of the pair of guide ribs 115 described above. The sheet material 116, acting as a restraining member, is stretched across the pair of guide ribs 115, and restrains the upward movement of the signal cable 90 as it passes between the pair of guide ribs 115. As a result, as the operating unit 80 moves, the signal cable 90 moves within a predetermined upper range from the support surface 112a, and does not exceed the guide ribs 115. In other words, the sheet material 116 ensures that the guide ribs 115 restrict the left-right movement of the signal cable 90 as described above. In this way, in this embodiment, when the signal cable 90 is housed, the guide ribs 115 and the sheet material 116 prevent the excess cable length 90a from moving unevenly on the support surface 112a.

[0051] Furthermore, the support surface 112a of the duct 112 is provided with a plurality of central ribs 117 that protrude upward from the support surface 112a within a predetermined range of the support surface 112a determined by a pair of guide ribs 115, in the left-right direction between the pair of guide ribs 115. The central ribs 117, acting as protrusions, are provided to prevent twisting of the signal cable 90.

[0052] Furthermore, the support surface 112a of the duct 112 is inclined downward from the front side to the rear side where the electrical unit 70 is located. The duct 112 is positioned such that the height of the support surface 112a is approximately the same as the air intake 114 on the front side and approximately the same as the edge saddle 110 (described later) on the rear side. As a result, when the signal cable 90 is pulled out as the operating unit 80 moves, the signal cable 90 moves smoothly along the support surface 112a. Note that the inclination of the support surface 112a of the duct 112 here includes cases where the support surface 112a is stepped.

[0053] The signal cable 90 is supported on the support surface 112a with the excess cable portion 90a curved in a loop shape, and the excess cable portion 90a moves along the support surface 112a while remaining curved. To enable this, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, the housing 500A is provided with an edge saddle 110. The edge saddle 110 is positioned between the duct 112 and the electrical unit 70 in the front-rear direction and is positioned so as to overlap with the support surface 112a when viewed from the direction in which the signal cable 90 is housed (arrow X direction).

[0054] The edge saddle 110, acting as a holding part, holds the signal cable 90 so that it can pass from the electrical unit 70 to the duct 112, and also holds the signal cable 90 so that it can pass from the duct 112 to the operating unit 80 after changing direction on the support surface 112a. The edge saddle 110 has an opening that allows the signal cable 90 to pass through twice. As shown in Figure 9, after the signal cable 90 passes from the electrical unit 70 to the edge saddle 110, it passes between the guide rib 115, the central rib 117, and the sheet material 116, and is curved so that it changes direction by 180 degrees on the front side of the support surface 112a. The curved signal cable 90 then passes again between the guide rib 115, the central rib 117, and the sheet material 116, and passes through the edge saddle 110 again. In this way, as the operating unit 80 moves, the signal cable 90 is housed in toward the duct 112 via the edge saddle 110, or pulled out from the duct 112.

[0055] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, an opening 120a is formed on the rear side of the unit cover 120 for routing the signal cable 90 outside the housing 500A. The signal cable 90, having passed through the edge saddle 110, is pulled out of the housing 500A through the opening 120a.

[0056] When changing the installation position of the control unit 80, the side cover (not shown) of the unit cover 120 is removed, exposing the fixing part 92 to the outside, as shown in Figure 6, allowing the user to access the fixing part 92. The user can release the fixing auxiliary member 91 by the fixing part 92 and pull out the excess cable portion 90a supported on the support surface 112a through the opening 120a. By pulling out the excess cable portion 90a, the control unit 80 can be installed in an installation position further away from the electrical unit 70 than the recommended position. Figures 10 to 11(b) show the case where the control unit 80 is installed on the top surface of the recording material loading device 3. Figures 12 to 13(b) also show the case where the control unit 80 is installed on the top surface of the power supply device 4.

[0057] As shown in Figures 10 to 11(b), a second fixing part, the fixing part 921, is provided on the top surface of the recording material loading device 3. When the operating unit 80 is installed on the top surface of the recording material loading device 3, the fixing auxiliary member 91, which has been removed from the fixing part 92, is fixed to the fixing part 921. As the fixing auxiliary member 91 is moved from the fixing part 92 to the fixing part 921, the excess cable length 90a is pulled out by a length corresponding to the distance from the fixing part 92 to the fixing part 921. Therefore, the excess cable length 90a supported by the support surface 112a becomes shorter than before the movement. The position of the fixing part 921 is such that even if the operating unit 80 falls, it will not reach the installation surface (floor) of the image forming apparatus 2, thus supporting the operating unit 80.

[0058] As shown in Figures 11 to 12(b), a second fixing part, a fixing part 922, is provided on the top surface of the power supply unit 4. When the operating unit 80 is installed on the top surface of the power supply unit 4, the fixing auxiliary member 91, which has been removed from the fixing part 92, is fixed to the fixing part 922. As the fixing auxiliary member 91 is moved from the fixing part 92 to the fixing part 922, the excess cable length 90a is pulled out by a length corresponding to the distance from the fixing part 92 to the fixing part 922. Therefore, the excess cable length 90a supported by the support surface 112a becomes shorter than before the movement. The position of the fixing part 922 is such that even if the operating unit 80 falls, it will not reach the installation surface (floor) of the image forming apparatus 2, thus supporting the operating unit 80.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, a cable support part (112) is provided that forms a space between the top surface 1a of the housing 500A and the housing 500A so that the excess cable length 90a of the signal cable 90 can be accommodated within the housing 500A. The cable support part (112) supports the excess cable length 90a housed in the space from below in the vertical direction. A fixing auxiliary member 91 is pre-attached to the signal cable 90, and when the operating unit 80 is installed in the installation position, the fixing auxiliary member 91 is fixed to one of a plurality of fixing parts (92, 921, 922) according to the installation position. Accordingly, the excess cable length 90a supported by the support surface 112a of the cable support part (112) is pulled out. In this way, the operating unit 80 can be installed in the recommended position and in an installation position away from the electrical unit 70, but the excess portion of the total length of the signal cable 90 corresponding to the installation position of the operating unit 800 is supported by the support surface 112a. Thus, even if sufficient excess length is secured in the signal cable 90 to increase the range of motion of the operating unit 80, the excess portion of the signal cable 90 can be housed within the housing 500A as the operating unit 80 moves, so the signal cable 90 does not get in the way.

[0060] [Other embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the operation unit 80 was described as a flat-mounted type, but it is not limited to this. For example, the operation unit 80 may be a vertical type installed perpendicular to the image forming apparatus 2. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment may also be applied to a standalone image forming apparatus equipped with a document reader and an output tray. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1a...Top surface, 2...Image forming apparatus, 70...Electrical unit, 72...Electrical circuit board (main control board), 80...Operation section, 90...Cable (signal cable), 91...Fixing auxiliary member, 92...First fixing part (fixing part), 110...Holding part (edge ​​saddle), 112...Support part (duct), 112a...Support surface, 115...Restricting part (guide rib), 116...Suppression member (sheet material), 117...Protrusion (central rib), 500A...Housing, 921 (922)...Second fixing part (fixing part), S...Recording material

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, The casing and A separate unit for operating the image forming apparatus is provided in addition to the housing, An electrical unit having an electrical circuit board provided on the top surface of the housing and capable of controlling the input and output of signals to the operating section, A cable that connects the operating unit and the electrical circuit board to enable signal input and output, A fixing auxiliary member is attached to the cable and is provided to be movable while holding the cable, between a first position and a second position further from the electrical circuit board than the first position, when the operating unit is moved. The housing is provided with a support portion which forms a space between itself and the top surface so as to accommodate the excess length of the cable corresponding to at least the length from the first position to the second position, and which supports the excess length of the cable housed in the space from below in the vertical direction. The housing has a first fixing portion for detachably fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the first position, and a second fixing portion for detachably fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the second position. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

2. The support portion has a plurality of restricting portions that protrude from the support surface supporting the excess length portion and restrict movement of the excess length portion in a direction intersecting the accommodation direction of the excess length portion so that the excess length portion moves along the support surface within a predetermined range of the support surface as the operating portion moves. The image forming apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The support portion is spanned across the plurality of restricting portions and has a restraining member that suppresses the upward movement of the excess portion so that the excess portion moves within a predetermined upper range from the support surface as the operating portion moves. The image forming apparatus according to feature 2.

4. The support portion has a plurality of protrusions within the predetermined range of the support surface that protrude from the support surface to prevent twisting of the excess length portion. The image forming apparatus according to feature 2 or 3.

5. The support surface supporting the excess portion is provided with a holding portion that allows the cable from the electrical unit to the support portion to pass through, and also allows the cable from the support portion to the operating portion to pass through, so that the excess portion is supported in a loop-shaped curved state. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The cable is housed toward the support portion via the holding portion, The support surface is inclined such that it becomes higher upwards as it moves away from the holding portion. The image forming apparatus according to feature 5.

7. The retaining portion is provided so as to overlap with the support surface when viewed from the direction in which the cable is housed. The image forming apparatus according to feature 6.

8. The support portion is a duct that allows air to pass between the inside and outside of the housing. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, The casing and An operating unit provided separately from the housing for operating the image forming apparatus, and an operating unit movably mounted on the top surface of the housing, An electrical unit having an electrical circuit board capable of controlling the input and output of signals to the aforementioned operating unit, A cable that connects the operating unit and the electrical circuit board to enable signal input and output, A fixing auxiliary member for holding the cable, comprising a first position and a second position further from the electrical circuit board than the first position, The housing includes a housing section provided within the housing for housing at least a portion of the cable, The housing has a first fixing portion for fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the first position, and a second fixing portion for fixing the fixing auxiliary member at the second position. An image forming apparatus characterized by the following:

10. The cable has an excess length portion corresponding to the length from the first position to the second position, The aforementioned storage section accommodates at least a portion of the excess length portion. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

11. The housing portion has a support surface that supports the cable housed in the housing portion from below in the vertical direction. The image forming apparatus according to feature 10.

12. The operating unit is movable on the top surface of the housing within the length range between the first fixing part and the second fixing part of the cable. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

13. The operating unit, if it falls from the top surface, will not reach the mounting surface of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

14. The housing is provided below the top surface of the housing in the vertical direction. The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

15. The housing is provided on the front side of the electrical unit in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus, The image forming apparatus according to feature 9.

Images