Image Forming Apparatus Detachable Substrate Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in maintaining the structural strength and ease of maintenance of their components, particularly in the mounting and detachment of substrates within the apparatus, which can lead to distortion and reduced accuracy in image formation.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a detachable member that can be attached and detached across two housings, utilizing a mounting part and a detachable part that connects one side surface to another, ensuring the strength of the housings while allowing for easy access and maintenance, and includes a configuration where substrates are mounted via a coupling plate to reduce the number of fastening positions and simplify the attachment process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a detachable member is mounted in a narrowed space between two housings, then the ease of maintenance is improved, but the structural strength of the housings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The detachable member is configured to be attached and detached in an attaching-detaching direction that connects one side surface and another side surface of the first housing, rather than in the conventional direction perpendicular to the housings. This dimensional change allows the detachable member to pass through a narrowed space between the two housings while maintaining structural integrity, as the side surfaces provide sufficient structural support even when the space between housings is reduced.
2Reliability
If multiple fastening positions are used to secure substrates, then the reliability of mounting is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A coupling plate is introduced as an intermediate component that combines multiple fastening positions into a single integrated structure. The substrates are mounted on the coupling plate, which then attaches to the housing at multiple positions simultaneously. This merging approach maintains reliable mounting through multiple attachment points while simplifying the overall process, as the coupling plate acts as a pre-assembled unit that ensures proper positioning and secure fastening of all substrates together.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a first housing; a second housing that is supported above the first housing; a mounting part that is provided at at least one of the first housing and the second housing; and a detachable part that is disposed across the first housing and the second housing, the detachable part being mounted detachably with respect to the mounting part and being attachable and detachable in an attaching-detaching direction that connects one side surface and another side surface of the first housing.