Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To suppress an increase in size of a substrate in a plate thickness direction, and improve communication functions of a wireless communication substrate.SOLUTION: An image formation device comprises: a wireless communication substrate which transmits and receives image data between itself and an external device by wireless communication; a control board connected to the wireless communication substrate by a connection line; a first sheet plate which covers the control board and forms a storage space for storing the control board; and a second sheet plate fitted to the first sheet plate, covering the control board together with the first sheet plate, and forming the storage space for storing the control board. The control board is fixed to the first sheet plate. The wireless communication substrate is fitted to a surface on an opposite side to a surface facing the control board of the second sheet plate. The surface of the second sheet plate to which the wireless communication substrate is fitted is a recessed surface approached to the control board side in the plate thickness direction of the control board, relative to surfaces of the second sheet plate other than the surface to which the wireless communication substrate is fitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a wireless communication board that wirelessly communicates image data with an external device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been an image forming apparatus that arranges a wireless communication board for wirelessly communicating image data with an external device, and transmits the image data obtained from the external device to a control board that controls an image forming unit via the wireless communication board, thereby forming an image on a recording material.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a wireless communication board is arranged in a space between a control board that controls an image forming unit and an electromagnetic shielding plate that covers the control board. Further, a configuration is disclosed in which a communication opening for communicating with an external device is provided in a region of the electromagnetic shielding plate facing the wireless communication board.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the above conventional technology, since the wireless communication board communicates with an external device through a communication opening provided in the electromagnetic shielding plate, the communication function is limited by the size of the communication opening. If the wireless communication board is arranged outside the electromagnetic shielding plate in order to improve the communication function, the wireless communication board protrudes outside the electromagnetic shielding plate, the size in the plate thickness direction of the board increases, and there is a problem that the image forming apparatus becomes large-sized.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the communication function of the wireless communication board while suppressing an increase in the size of the board of the image forming apparatus in the plate thickness direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Book One form of disclosure It comprises a wireless communication board for communicating image data wirelessly with an external device, a control board connected to the wireless communication board by connecting lines, a first sheet metal that supports the control board and forms a housing space for housing the control board, and a second sheet metal attached to the first sheet metal and together with the first sheet metal forming the housing space. A magnetic sheet comprising a magnetic layer containing at least metal powder, The control board is housed between the second sheet metal and the first sheet metal on the side of the first surface of the second sheet metal facing the first sheet metal, and the second sheet metal has a recess that is brought closer to the first sheet metal, and the wireless communication board is attached in the recess to the side of the second surface of the second sheet metal opposite to the first surface. The magnetic sheet is positioned between the wireless communication substrate and the control substrate and is attached to the second sheet metal so as to cover the wireless communication substrate. It is characterized by the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the communication function of the wireless communication board while suppressing the increase in the size of the housing space formed by the first sheet metal and the second sheet metal in the thickness direction of the control board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the general configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] Side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view of the light source section of the optical scanning device. [Figure 4] Perspective view showing the rear of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 5] Schematic diagram showing the rear of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 6] Rear view of the image forming apparatus with the shield plate removed. [Figure 7] Side cross-sectional view showing the area around the control board of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 8] Exploded perspective view of the control board area, including the wireless communication board and magnetic sheet. [Figure 9]Perspective view showing the mounting portion of the shield plate and the wireless communication board [Figure 10] Diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic sheet

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be exemplarily and detailedly described with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the following examples should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied and various conditions, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only thereto.

[0011] 〔Example 1〕 The overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be described using FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus, FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit of the optical scanning device.

[0012] First, the image forming apparatus will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3. Next, the arrangement configuration of the control board and the wireless communication board in the image forming apparatus will be described using FIGS. 4 to 10.

[0013] The image forming apparatus S shown in FIG. 1 has an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet-like recording material P such as paper or OHP.

[0014] The image forming apparatus S exemplifies an intermediate tandem type image forming apparatus that transfers four-color toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) to an intermediate transfer belt and then transfers them to a recording material to form an image. In the following description, although the members using the toners of the above yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are sequentially assigned subscripts a, b, c, d as suffixes, the configurations and operations of each member are substantially the same except that the colors of the toners used are different. Therefore, the subscripts are appropriately omitted unless distinction is required.

[0015] The configuration of the image forming unit will be described below. The image forming unit includes drum-type electrophotographic photoreceptors (hereinafter referred to as "photoreceptor drums") 10 (10a to 10d) for each color. The photoreceptor drum 10 is rotatably supported by the image forming apparatus S and is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure by driving means (not shown). The photoreceptor drum 10 may be a photoreceptor belt.

[0016] Around the photoreceptor drum 10, the following process means are arranged along its rotation direction. The charging roller 11 (11a to 11d) as the charging means charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10. The exposure unit 2 as the exposure means irradiates the photoreceptor drum 10 with laser light L (La to Ld) based on image information for exposure. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10. The developing roller 12 (12a to 12d) as the developing means develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 with toner. Note that the developing rollers 12a to 12d attach toners of different colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, black) to the respective photoreceptor drums 10a to 10d. The cleaning blade 13 (13a to 13d) as the cleaning means removes the toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 after transferring the toner image from the photoreceptor drum 10 to the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0017] The image forming unit includes an intermediate transfer belt (intermediate transfer member) 15 to which the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 10 is transferred, and a primary transfer roller 14 (14a to 14d) as transfer means for sequentially transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 10 to the intermediate transfer belt 15.

[0018] The photoreceptor drum 10 is configured by providing a photoconductive layer such as OPC (organic photoconductor) on the outer peripheral surface of an aluminum cylinder. The charging roller 11 is composed of a core bar and a conductive elastic member surrounding the core bar, is arranged in contact with the surface of the photoreceptor drum 10 and rotates passively, and a charging bias is applied by a power source (not shown).

[0019] In the exposure unit 2, the laser holder 26 shown in Figure 3 holds the semiconductor lasers (single-beam lasers) 27a and 27b, which are light sources, by press-fitting them into the lens barrel holding parts 26a and 26b. The lens barrel holding parts 26a and 26b are provided with their optical axes tilted so that the optical paths of the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b intersect with each other at a predetermined angle θ in the sub-scanning direction near the rotating polyhedron mirror 21, and a part of the outer shape of the lens barrel is integrated. This makes it possible to hold the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b in close proximity. At the tip of the lens barrel holding parts 26a and 26b, aperture parts 26c and 26d corresponding to each semiconductor laser 27a and 27b are provided, and the light beams emitted from the semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b are shaped into the desired optimal beam shape. At the very tips of the lens barrel holding sections 26a and 26b, there are two bonding sections 26e and 26f in the main scanning direction for the collimator lenses 28a and 28b, which convert the light beams that have passed through the aperture sections 26c and 26d into approximately parallel light beams. Here, the collimator lenses 28a and 28b are adjusted while detecting the optical properties of the laser light to determine the irradiation position and focus. Once the position is determined, they are bonded and fixed to the bonding sections 26e and 26f by irradiating them with ultraviolet light using an ultraviolet-curing adhesive.

[0020] Here, semiconductor lasers 27a and 27b are light sources that emit laser light La and Lb to expose the respective photosensitive drums 10a and 10b shown in Figure 1. Although not shown, semiconductor laser 27c, which emits laser light Lc to expose the photosensitive drum 10c, is located in the position of semiconductor laser 27b. Also, although not shown, semiconductor laser 27d, which emits laser light Ld to expose the photosensitive drum 10d, is located in the position of semiconductor laser 27a. These semiconductor lasers 27 (27a to 27d) are electrically connected to the laser substrate 20 shown in Figure 2, and the laser substrate 20 is equipped with a laser driving circuit. The laser substrate 20 is also electrically connected to the control board 31 via a flexible cable 29, which receives a video signal, which is image information for causing the semiconductor lasers 27 to emit light. The laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser 27 (27a~27d) passes through the collimator lenses 28 (28a~28d) (28c and 28d are not shown) to become a nearly parallel beam, and then is imaged as a nearly line image (a line image longitudinal in the main scanning direction) on the deflection surface of the rotating polyhedron mirror 21 by a cylindrical lens (not shown) having a predetermined refractive power only in the sub-scanning direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the exposure unit 2 houses a rotating polyhedron mirror 21 for deflecting and scanning laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser 27, which is a laser light source; first imaging optical elements 22 (22ab, 22cd), reflecting mirrors 23 (23a, 23b, 23c, 23d), 24 (24b, 24c), and second imaging optical elements 25 (25a, 25b, 25c, 25d) for guiding the polarized laser light scanned by the rotating polyhedron mirror 21 to the corresponding photosensitive drums 10a to 10d for imaging. The exposure unit 2 irradiates the surfaces of the charged photosensitive drums 10a to 10d with laser light La to Ld based on image information to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing roller 12 develops the electrostatic latent image by depositing toner onto the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10, thereby forming a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10.

[0022] The intermediate transfer belt 15 is an endlessly formed belt that creates a loop. It is stretched across three parallel tension rollers, and as these rollers rotate, the intermediate transfer belt 15 is driven to move in the direction of the arrow. Inside the loop of the intermediate transfer belt 15, primary transfer rollers 14 (14a-14d) are positioned, pressing the intermediate transfer belt 15 against the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 to form a primary transfer nip section N1 (N1a-N1d) between the photosensitive drum 10 and the intermediate transfer belt 15. A primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer rollers 14 by a power supply (not shown). Downstream of the primary transfer nip section N1 (N1a-N1d) in the driving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 15, a secondary transfer roller 16 is positioned, forming a secondary transfer nip section N2 between it and the intermediate transfer belt 15. A secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer rollers 16 by a power supply (not shown).

[0023] The paper feeding unit 9 supplies recording material P to the secondary transfer nip section N2 and can store multiple sheets of recording material P.

[0024] With respect to the transport direction of the recording material P (in the direction of the dashed arrow), a fuser 8 is provided downstream of the secondary transfer nip section N2 to heat and pressurize the recording material P and fix the toner onto the recording material P. Further downstream in the transport direction from the fuser 8, a paper discharge roller 7 is provided to discharge the recording material P to the outside of the image forming apparatus S.

[0025] The configuration described above is the part that functions as an image forming unit that forms an image on the recording material P. These image forming units are supported by a frame made of multiple sheet metal parts, as shown in Figure 2. Specifically, the image forming unit is positioned between the rear plate 17 and the front plate 18 that make up the frame, and is covered by a cover 4 as an exterior member and a paper output tray 5, which is a paper output tray provided on the upper surface of the cover 4.

[0026] The front plate 18 is made of sheet metal and is located on the front side of the image forming apparatus S. The front plate 18 forms part of the frame (housing) on ​​the front side of the image forming apparatus S. The rear plate 17 is made of sheet metal and is located on the rear side of the image forming apparatus S. The rear plate 17 forms part of the frame (housing) on ​​the rear side of the image forming apparatus S. As shown in Figure 2, the front plate 18 and the rear plate 17 are positioned facing each other, and a sheet metal beam (not shown) bridges between them. The front plate 18, the rear plate 17, and the beam (not shown) each constitute part of the frame (housing) of the image forming apparatus S.

[0027] Here, as shown in Figure 2, in the following explanation, the front side of the image forming apparatus is defined as the front side (front or front) on the side with the front plate 18, and the rear side is defined as the rear side (back or back) on the side with the rear plate 17. Furthermore, when the photosensitive drum 10d on which the electrostatic latent image of the black toner image is formed is used as the reference, the side on which the photosensitive drum 10a on which the electrostatic latent image of the yellow toner image is formed is defined as the right side. When the photosensitive drum 10a on which the electrostatic latent image of the yellow toner image is formed is used as the reference, the side on which the photosensitive drum 10d on which the electrostatic latent image of the black toner image is formed is defined as the left side. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions defined here, and vertically upward, is defined as the upward direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions defined here, and vertically downward, is defined as the downward direction. The defined front, rear, right, left, upward, and downward directions are shown in Figures 2, 4, etc.

[0028] A control board 31 is mounted on the rear panel 17, and control signals to each unit are transmitted via bundled wires (connection wires). The control board 31 receives image data to be formed on the recording material P via a wireless communication board 32 that communicates image data wirelessly from an external device (not shown), and controls the image forming unit based on the received image data, enabling image formation. However, this configuration can operate using any wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi, BLE, or NFC.

[0029] Next, the image formation operation by the image forming apparatus S will be described. The photosensitive drum 10 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, and a toner image is formed on its surface through the following process.

[0030] First, the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is charged by the charging roller 11 to which a charging bias is applied, bringing it to a predetermined potential. Then, the exposure unit 2 irradiates the photosensitive drum 10 with laser light L based on the video signal, which is image information from the control board 31, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10. The electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 10 is developed when toner adheres to the part irradiated with laser light at the position opposite (contacting) the developing roller 12, resulting in the appearance of a toner image. By performing this operation for each photosensitive drum 10, toner images of different colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) are formed on each photosensitive drum 10.

[0031] Then, due to the action of the primary transfer bias applied to the primary transfer roller 14, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 10 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15 at the primary transfer nip section N1. Furthermore, the toner images on each photosensitive drum 10 are formed at a timing when they overlap each other when transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 15. As a result, a four-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 15, consisting of the overlapping images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners. Any toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 10 after passing through the primary transfer nip section N1 is scraped off by the cleaning blade 13.

[0032] The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is transported to the secondary transfer nip section N2 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 15. The recording material P is transported to the secondary transfer nip section N2 at the same time as the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is transported to the secondary transfer nip section N2. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 15 is transferred onto the recording material P at the secondary transfer nip section N2 due to the action of the secondary transfer bias applied to the secondary transfer roller 16.

[0033] The recording material P onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fuser 8, where it is heated and pressurized, and the toner image is fixed (melted and solidified) onto the recording material P. This forms a four-color image on the recording material P. Toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 15 after passing through the secondary transfer nip section N2 is scraped off by a belt cleaner (not shown).

[0034] The recording material P, having passed through the fuser 8, is discharged outside the main body of the image forming apparatus S by the paper discharge roller 7 and loaded onto the paper discharge tray 5, which is a paper discharge stacking section located on the upper surface of the cover 4. This completes the image forming operation by the image forming apparatus S.

[0035] The image forming apparatus S also has an operation panel 6. The operation panel 6 has a touch panel type display (operation display unit) that integrates a display unit capable of displaying information based on image data and an operation unit that detects touch operations from the user. The user can make settings related to image forming, such as the number of output sheets and size settings of the recording material, by touching the keys displayed on the display with their finger.

[0036] Next, the arrangement of the control board 31 and the wireless communication board 32 will be explained using Figures 4 to 10.

[0037] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the rear of the image forming apparatus, and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the rear of the image forming apparatus. Figure 6 is a rear view of the image forming apparatus with the shield plate removed. Figure 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing the area around the control board of the image forming apparatus. Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the area around the control board, including the wireless communication board and magnetic sheet. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the mounting part of the shield plate and the wireless communication board. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic sheet.

[0038] The image forming apparatus S includes a wireless communication board 32 for communicating image data wirelessly with external equipment, a control board 31 connected to the wireless communication board 32 by connecting wires, a support plate 33 as a first sheet metal, and a shield plate 34 as a second sheet metal.

[0039] The control board 31 is fixed to the support plate 33. The control board 31 has a heat sink 36 attached to it for cooling heat sources such as the CPU (not shown) mounted on the control board 31. The control board 31 is electrically connected to the wireless communication board 32 by a flexible cable 37, which is a connecting wire.

[0040] The support plate 33 covers the control board 31 and forms a housing space for accommodating the control board 31. As shown in Figure 8, the support plate 33 has a fixing surface 33a for fixing the control board 31, and side walls 33b to 33e are formed to surround the fixing surface 33a. The support plate 33 has an opening 33f on the side facing the fixing surface 33a in the thickness direction of the control board 31. The opening 33f of the support plate 33 is formed by the edges of the side walls 33b to 33e that surround the fixing surface 33a.

[0041] In other words, the support plate 33 is made of a metal sheet metal formed to surround the control board 31, and has an open surface (opening 33f) on at least one side that allows access to the control board 31 during assembly and maintenance.

[0042] Here, the thickness direction of the control board 31 coincides with the front-to-back direction of the image forming apparatus, since the support plate 33 is attached to the rear plate 17 that constitutes the frame of the image forming apparatus.

[0043] This support plate 33 is fixed to the rear side of the rear plate 17, which is located at the rear of the image forming apparatus S. The control board 31 is attached to the image forming apparatus S by being mounted to the support plate 33 from the open side.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6, the control board 31 is positioned below the paper output tray 5 in the vertical direction of the image forming apparatus S, and downstream of the paper output roller 7 in the transport direction of the recording material P.

[0045] The shield plate 34 is attached to the support plate 33 so as to cover the opening 33f of the support plate 33. Together with the support plate 33, the shield plate 34 covers the control board 31 and forms a housing space for the control board 31. The shield plate 34, like the support plate 33, is made of metal sheet metal and is detachably fixed to the support plate 33.

[0046] Here, the side of the shield plate 34 facing the control board 31 is the front surface of the image forming apparatus S in the front-to-back direction, and the opposite side is the rear surface.

[0047] The shield plate 34 has a first surface 34a and a second surface 35 on its rear surface 34B, which is on the opposite side of the front surface facing the control board 31, and is positioned closer to the control board than the first surface 34a in the thickness direction of the control board 31.

[0048] The second surface 35 of the shield plate 34 is the surface on which the wireless communication board 32 is attached, and compared to the first surface 34a other than the mounting surface, it is a concave surface that is closer to the control board side in the thickness direction (front-to-back direction) of the control board 31.

[0049] As shown in Figure 8, the second surface (concave surface) 35 of the shield plate 34 is located in a different position from the heat sink 36 attached to the control board 31 in the planar direction of the control board 31. In other words, the second surface (concave surface) 35 of the shield plate is located in a part of the control board 31 that avoids components that are large in the thickness direction of the control board 31 (for example, the heat sink). As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the height of the control board can be kept down to the height of components that are large in the thickness direction of the control board (in this case, the heat sink 36), and the size of the image forming apparatus can be kept down.

[0050] The shield plate 34 has mounting portions 42a and 42b for attaching the wireless communication board 32, which are formed by cutting and bending the shield plate 34. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the shield plate 34 has a first mounting portion 42a and a second mounting portion 42b as the mounting portions. The first mounting portion 42a and the second mounting portion 42b are provided on the second surface 35 of the shield plate 34.

[0051] The first mounting portion 42a is formed by cutting and bending the shield plate 34 and has a seating surface 42a1 for screwing and fixing the mounting hole 324a, which is the first hole provided in the wireless communication board 32.

[0052] The second mounting portion 42b is formed by cutting and bending the shield plate 34 and has a projection 42b1 that penetrates the positioning hole 324b, which is the second hole in the wireless communication substrate 32, to position the wireless communication substrate 32 on the shield plate 34. The second mounting portion 42b is formed by cutting and bending a portion of the shield plate 34 that is different from the first mounting portion 42a. The projection 42b1 of the second mounting portion 42b penetrates the positioning hole 324b, which is the second hole in the wireless communication substrate 32, which is located at a different position from the first mounting hole 324a, to position the wireless communication substrate 32 on the shield plate 34.

[0053] Since the mounting portions 42a and 42b are formed by cutting and bending the shield plate 34, holes 43a and 43b are formed in the shield plate 34 during this process. In other words, the shield plate 34 has holes 43a and 43b.

[0054] The wireless communication board 32 is mounted on the rear surface 34B of the shield plate 34, opposite to the front surface facing the control board 31. In other words, the wireless communication board 32 is mounted on the rear surface of the image forming apparatus S of the shield plate 34. The rear surface 34B of the shield plate 34, which is the mounting surface, has a concave surface (second surface 35) that is narrower towards the control board 31 than the first surface 34a. As mentioned above, the concave second surface 35 of the shield plate 34 is provided in a part that avoids large components of the control board 31, such as a heat sink. The wireless communication board 32 is mounted on this second surface (concave surface) 35 of the shield plate 34. In other words, the wireless communication board 32 is mounted on the second surface (concave surface) 35 of the rear surface 34B of the shield plate 34, which is opposite to the surface facing the control board 31.

[0055] The wireless communication board 32 is electrically connected to the control board 31 by a flexible cable 37.

[0056] Here, the configuration of the wireless communication board 32 will be explained using Figure 9.

[0057] The wireless communication substrate 32 is a substrate in which a metal pattern is formed with multiple layers of copper foil on a substrate, such as glass cloth impregnated with epoxy resin, and electronic components are mounted by soldering. However, the substrate may be manufactured using materials other than those described above, and there are no restrictions on the components that are mounted.

[0058] In this embodiment, the wireless communication board 32 consists of a wireless communication antenna 321, a wireless communication driver circuit 322, a communication connector 323, mounting holes 324a, and positioning holes 324b.

[0059] The wireless communication antenna 321 is a pattern antenna formed from a metal pattern on the surface of the wireless communication substrate 32, and is used for transmitting and receiving radio waves.

[0060] The wireless communication driver circuit 322 performs data conversion for network communication between the control board 31 and external devices, outputs electrical signals to the wireless communication antenna 321, or processes electrical signals received by the wireless communication antenna 321. When transmitting data from the control board 31 to an external device, the data to be transmitted generated by the control board 31 is converted into a signal format compliant with wireless communication standards and output as an electrical signal to the wireless communication antenna 321. When receiving data from an external device to the control board 31, the electrical signal received by the wireless communication antenna 321 is decoded into communication data in a manner compliant with wireless communication standards and transmitted to the control board 31. The wireless communication driver circuit 322 is composed of components mounted on the front and back surfaces of the wireless communication board 32, but there are no restrictions on the surface on which the components are mounted, and the metal patterns connecting the components may be formed anywhere on the front surface, back surface, or inner layers of the wireless communication board 32.

[0061] The communication connector 323 is an I / F connector used to connect the data transmitted and received by the wireless communication board 32 to the network controller (not shown) and the wireless communication driver circuit 322 via a wired connection. The communication connector 323 is mounted on the same side as the wireless communication antenna 321.

[0062] Mounting holes 324a and positioning holes 324b are used when attaching the wireless communication board 32 to the shielding plate 34. Mounting holes 324a are used to define the position of the screws when attaching the wireless communication board 32 to the shielding plate 34 by screw fastening. In this embodiment, the holes are closed, but they may also be open in shape, such as a notch. Positioning holes 324b are used to determine the position of the wireless communication board 32 relative to the shielding plate 34. The position of the wireless communication board 32 relative to the shielding plate 34 is determined before screw fastening by passing the projection 42b1 of the second mounting portion 42b through the positioning holes 324b.

[0063] Furthermore, around the mounting hole 324a on the side of the wireless communication board 32 facing the shield plate 34, there is a copper foil exposed portion (not shown) that is electrically connected (in contact) with the seating surface 42a1 of the second mounting portion 42b. The copper foil exposed portion is electrically connected to the GND potential of the wireless communication board 32, including the wireless communication driver circuit 322. The copper foil exposed portion may be surface-treated, for example, by gold plating, to be conductive and resistant to oxidation.

[0064] Here, the radio wave propagation characteristics of the wireless communication board 32 are affected by the stability of the GND potential, which is the reference potential of the wireless communication board 32. If the GND potential is unstable, the radio wave propagation characteristics will deteriorate. One example of a method to stabilize the GND potential of the wireless communication board 32 is to make the GND potential of the wireless communication board 32 conductive with the frame, which is the metal housing that is the GND potential of the image forming apparatus S. First, the mounting part 42a on which the wireless communication board 32 is attached to the image forming apparatus S is made conductive with the frame of the image forming apparatus S. Next, the wireless communication board 32 is screwed to the mounting part 42a of the image forming apparatus S through the mounting hole 324a so that the mounting part 42a of the image forming apparatus S and the exposed copper foil part are in contact. Due to the pressure of screwing, the mounting part 42a of the image forming apparatus S and the exposed copper foil part of the wireless communication board 32 are pressed together, so that the GND potential of the wireless communication board 32 is conductive with the GND potential of the image forming apparatus S.

[0065] In this embodiment, the copper foil exposed portion of the wireless communication board 32 and the metal of the mounting portion of the image forming apparatus S are brought into contact by applying pressure through screw fastening to ensure conductivity of the GND potential. However, the method of ensuring conductivity of the GND potential is not limited to this. For example, conductive springs or conductive grease can be provided between the copper foil exposed portion and the mounting portion of the image forming apparatus to ensure conductivity of the GND potential, thus allowing mounting without applying pressure as with screw fastening. Furthermore, if the radio wave propagation characteristics of the wireless communication antenna 321 are sufficiently good, the mounting holes 324a and the copper foil exposed portion do not need to be configured in the wireless communication board 32. Alternatively, in a wireless communication board 32 having mounting holes 324a and a copper foil exposed portion, it is not necessary to use the copper foil exposed portion to make electrical contact with the frame of the image forming apparatus S when assembling it to the image forming apparatus S. This embodiment does not limit the inclusion of mounting holes 324a and a copper foil exposed portion in the configuration of the wireless communication board 32.

[0066] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus S has magnetic sheets 40 and 41, each having a magnetic layer containing at least metal powder. The magnetic sheets 40 and 41 are placed between the wireless communication substrate 32 and the control substrate 31 and are attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover the wireless communication substrate 32.

[0067] First, the structures of magnetic sheets 40 and 41 will be explained using Figure 10. Figure 10 shows the structures of magnetic sheets 40 and 41. Magnetic sheets 40 and 41 have the same structure.

[0068] The magnetic sheets 40 and 41 are composed of a surface film 401, a magnetic layer 402, a double-sided adhesive tape 403, and a release liner 404. The surface film 401 is a protective layer that protects the magnetic layer 402 and is an insulator. The magnetic layer 402 is a conductor mainly composed of metal powder and resin, and the principle of radio wave absorption differs depending on the type of material used, and is classified into three types: dielectric loss, magnetic loss, and reflection loss. The double-sided adhesive tape 403 is an adhesive layer that fixes the magnetic sheets 40 and 41 to the surface where they are attached and is an insulator. The release liner 404 protects the double-sided adhesive tape 403 and is peeled off when the magnetic sheets 40 and 41 are used.

[0069] Furthermore, the arrangement of magnetic sheets 40 and 41 will be explained using Figure 8.

[0070] The magnetic sheets 40 and 41 are equipped with a magnetic layer 402 (see Figure 10) containing at least metal powder. This allows the magnetic sheets 40 and 41 to convert electromagnetic waves such as electrical noise generated from the substrate into heat.

[0071] The magnetic sheet 40 is placed between the wireless communication substrate 32 and the shielding plate 34 and is attached to the side (outer surface) of the shielding plate 34 that faces the wireless communication substrate.

[0072] The magnetic sheet 40 is attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover an area larger than the substrate area of ​​the wireless communication substrate 32.

[0073] At this time, the magnetic sheet 40 is attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover at least the area of ​​the wireless communication antenna 201 on the wireless communication substrate 32.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the magnetic sheet 40 is attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover the area excluding the holes 43a and 43b formed in the shield plate 34 to form the mounting portions 42a and 42b (see Figure 9).

[0075] The magnetic sheet 41 is placed between the control board 31 and the shield plate 34 and is attached to the control board side (inner surface) of the shield plate 34.

[0076] The magnetic sheet 41 is attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover the holes 43a and 43b formed in the shield plate 34 to form the mounting portions 42a and 42b.

[0077] In this way, by arranging the magnetic sheets 40 and 41, it is possible to prevent the radio waves of the wireless communication board 32 from weakening when the wireless communication board 32 is attached to the shielding plate 34, reduce the emission of electrical noise from the control board 31 to the outside of the machine, and reduce the influence of noise input from outside the machine to the control board.

[0078] As described above, according to this embodiment, the wireless communication board 32 is attached to the rear surface 34B of the shielding plate 34 opposite to the surface facing the control board 31, and is attached to the second surface (concave surface) 35 of the rear surface 34B which is narrower towards the control board 31 than the first surface 34a. This makes it possible to improve the communication function of the wireless communication board 32 while suppressing the increase in the size of the housing space created by the support plate 33 and the shielding plate 34 in the thickness direction of the control board 31. Furthermore, when the wireless communication board 32 is attached in this manner, it is possible to prevent the radio waves of the wireless communication board 32 from weakening, reduce the emission of electrical noise from the control board 31 to the outside of the device, and reduce the influence of noise input from the outside to the control board.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, a configuration was illustrated in which the magnetic sheet 40, placed between the wireless communication substrate 32 and the control substrate 31, was attached to the shield plate 34 so as to cover the wireless communication substrate 32. However, the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the magnetic sheet 40, placed between the wireless communication substrate 32 and the control substrate 31, may be attached to the side of the wireless communication substrate 32 opposite to the side on which the wireless communication antenna 201 is provided (the side facing the shield plate). In this case, it is preferable to attach the magnetic sheet 40 so as to cover at least the area of ​​the wireless communication antenna 201 on the wireless communication substrate 32. The magnetic sheet 40, placed between the wireless communication substrate 32 and the control substrate 31, may be attached to either the shield plate 34 or the wireless communication substrate 32, or to both.

[0080] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a scanning exposure unit (laser scanner section) that performs scanning exposure by rotating a multifaceted mirror was used as the exposure means, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, an exposure head in which light-emitting elements such as LEDs or organic ELs are arranged in a substantially straight line parallel to the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum (main scanning direction) may be used as the exposure means.

[0081] Furthermore, although a printer was used as an example of an image forming apparatus in the embodiments described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, other image forming apparatuses such as photocopiers and facsimile machines, or other image forming apparatuses such as multifunction devices that combine these functions, may also be used. In addition, although an image forming apparatus that uses an intermediate transfer body and sequentially transfers toner images of each color onto the intermediate transfer body, and then transfers the toner images supported on the intermediate transfer body to a recording material all at once was given as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto. An image forming apparatus that uses a recording material carrier and sequentially transfers toner images of each color onto the recording material supported on the recording material carrier may also be used. Similar effects can be obtained by applying the present invention to these image forming apparatuses. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] S...Image forming device 2 ... Exposure unit 10... Photosensitive drum 17...Rear side plate 31 ... Control board 32... Wireless communication board 33...Support plate 33a...Fixed surface 33b~33e…Side wall 33f…Aperture 34 ... Shield plate 34B…Rear side 34a…First page 35…Second side 36… Heatsink 37... Flexible cable 40, 41... Magnetic sheet 42a ... First mounting part 42a1 ... seat 42b ...Second mounting section 42b1...Protrusion 321... Wireless communication antenna 322 … Wireless communication driver circuit 323 ...Communication connector 324a ... Mounting holes 324b ... Positioning hole 401 ... Surface film 402...Magnetic layer 403... Double-sided adhesive tape 404…Release Liner

Claims

1. A wireless communication board that communicates image data wirelessly with external devices, A control board connected to the aforementioned wireless communication board by connecting wires, A first sheet metal that supports the control board and forms a housing space for housing the control board, A second sheet metal attached to the first sheet metal and together with the first sheet metal forming the accommodation space, A magnetic sheet comprising a magnetic layer containing at least metal powder, It has, The control board is housed between the second sheet metal and the first sheet metal, on the side of the first surface of the second sheet metal facing the first sheet metal. The second sheet metal has a recess that is positioned closer to the first sheet metal, The wireless communication board is attached in the recess to the second surface of the second sheet metal opposite to the first surface, The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the magnetic sheet is placed between the wireless communication substrate and the control substrate and is attached to the second sheet metal so as to cover the wireless communication substrate.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnetic sheet has a protective layer for protecting the magnetic layer and an adhesive layer for attaching the magnetic sheet to the second sheet metal.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnetic sheet is disposed between the wireless communication substrate and the second sheet metal and attached to the second surface of the second sheet metal.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the magnetic sheet is attached to the second sheet metal so as to cover at least the area of ​​the antenna of the wireless communication substrate.

5. The second sheet metal has a mounting portion for attaching the wireless communication board, which is formed by cutting and raising a part of the second sheet metal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the magnetic sheet is attached to the second sheet metal such that it covers an area excluding the hole formed in the second sheet metal for forming the mounting portion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnetic sheet is disposed between the control substrate and the second sheet metal and is attached to the first surface of the second sheet metal.

7. The second sheet metal has a mounting portion for attaching the wireless communication board, which is formed by cutting and raising a part of the second sheet metal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the magnetic sheet is attached to the second sheet metal so as to cover the hole formed in the second sheet metal for forming the mounting portion.

8. The mounting portion of the second sheet metal is A first mounting portion is formed by cutting and bending a part of the second sheet metal and has a seating surface for screwing into the first hole provided in the wireless communication board, The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising: a second mounting portion formed by cutting and bending a portion of the second sheet metal different from the first mounting portion, and having a projection that penetrates a second hole provided at a different position from the first hole in the wireless communication substrate, thereby positioning the wireless communication substrate on the second sheet metal.

9. Exterior members forming the exterior of the image forming apparatus, An image forming unit that forms an image on the recording material, It has a frame made of multiple sheet metals that supports the image forming part, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first sheet metal on which the control board is fixed is attached to the frame, and the exterior member is attached to the frame so as to cover the second sheet metal which supports the wireless communication board and is attached to the first sheet metal.

10. The control board is equipped with a heat sink for cooling the heat source mounted on the control board. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the recess of the second sheet metal is provided at a position different from the heat sink attached to the control board in the planar direction of the control board.

Images