Image Forming Station Layout for Rear Board Maintenance Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in easy maintenance access, particularly for components located on the rear side, as they require removal of front-side components to access the rear-side electric boards.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus is designed with a configuration of stations and stays that allow for easy maintenance access. Each station includes a rotation shaft, a photosensitive member, a flywheel, and a drive motor, while the stays support the electric boards in a way that allows for overlap with the flywheels, enabling access without removing the stays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If electric boards are arranged in layers on multiple frames, then the area occupied on one surface is reduced, but access to rear-side electric boards becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The image forming apparatus is divided into multiple independent stations (first station, second station, etc.), each with its own drive unit and electric board. This segmentation allows each station to be accessed and maintained independently, resolving the contradiction by enabling rear-side board access without removing front-side components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional layered arrangement to a three-dimensional spatial configuration where stations are arranged along the width direction with stays extending in the vertical direction. This dimensional change allows electric boards to be positioned at different heights and locations, improving accessibility while maintaining compact area utilization.
2Area of stationary object
If electric boards are positioned on the rear side to save space, then area efficiency is improved, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the apparatus into independent stations with dedicated drive units and electric boards, the patent simplifies maintenance procedures. Each station can be accessed and serviced independently through the removable stay structure, reducing maintenance complexity despite the three-dimensional spatial arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The stay structure is designed to be removable and reconfigurable, allowing dynamic adjustment of access paths. This dynamic feature enables maintenance personnel to access rear-side electric boards easily by removing specific stays, thereby reducing maintenance complexity while maintaining efficient space utilization.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple components are arranged in a compact configuration, then area efficiency is improved, but access for visual observation and replacement becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The compact configuration is achieved through segmentation into multiple stations arranged along the width direction, with each station containing its own components. This segmentation allows selective access to individual stations and their components through removable stays, maintaining both compactness and ease of visual observation and replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The stay structure acts as an intermediary element that can be selectively removed to provide access paths to electric boards and other components. This intermediary structure enables visual observation and replacement operations without requiring disassembly of the entire compact configuration, resolving the contradiction between compactness and accessibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of stations and a plurality of stays arranged along a first direction; and a first board support member supporting a first electric board. Each of the plurality of stations includes: a rotation shaft extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction; and a photosensitive member and a flywheel provided to the rotation shaft. The first board support member is attached to two of the plurality of stays so as to bridge a gap between the two stays, and provided, in the second direction, on a first side opposite to a second side of the flywheel on which the photosensitive member is provided. The first board support member overlaps with the flywheel of at least one of the plurality of stations when viewed from a viewpoint along the second direction.