Cover Alignment via Regulating Portions in Image Forming Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses with multiple covers suffer from reduced alignment accuracy and compromised aesthetic appearance due to part tolerance between covers, particularly when one cover is attached to a side surface of a rectangular parallelepiped device main body.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus incorporates a frame with a front cover featuring front-back, up-down, and right-left regulating portions that engage with corresponding engaging portions on the upper cover, ensuring precise positioning in multiple directions, thereby enhancing alignment accuracy and aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If one cover is attached to one side surface of the apparatus main body, then the device can be assembled with modular covers, but the alignment accuracy between covers is reduced due to part tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The front cover acts as an intermediary positioning element that mediates between the apparatus main body and the upper cover. By providing positioning protrusions on the front cover that engage with positioning grooves on the upper cover, it ensures accurate alignment while maintaining modular assembly capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The front cover is pre-positioned on the apparatus main body with fixed positioning features before the upper cover is attached. This preliminary positioning action establishes a reference framework that guides the subsequent attachment of the upper cover, ensuring alignment accuracy without requiring direct positioning between the upper cover and main body.
2Ease of operation
If covers are positioned by multiple other covers, then the positioning can be distributed, but the aesthetic appearance is impaired due to accumulated tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The front cover is designed with localized positioning features (positioning protrusions) at specific locations that engage with corresponding features on the upper cover. This local quality approach ensures precise alignment at the critical interface between covers, preventing the accumulation of tolerances that would otherwise degrade the aesthetic appearance.
Data Source
AI summary
In image forming apparatus including: a frame; a front cover that is fixed to a front surface of the frame; and an upper cover includes a plurality of engaging portions that is engaged with the front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, the front cover includes a front-back regulating portion that is engaged with a first engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the front-back direction, an up-down regulating portion that is engaged with a second engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the up-down direction, and a right-left regulating portion that is engaged with a third engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the right-left direction.