Laser Printer Circuit Board Sidewall Arrangement for Height Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses, such as laser printers, face challenges in reducing size and height due to the arrangement of high-voltage power-source circuit boards and gear plates, which can lead to bias leakage at the periphery of the gear plate, making it difficult to lower the overall height and reduce the width of the device.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with a high-voltage circuit board and gear plate arranged on the same sidewall, where the circuit board has a displaced portion to prevent bias leakage, and the conveyance path is inclined downwards towards the image formation position, allowing for the reduction of the device's size and height while maintaining effective power and drive input from a single side surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the high-voltage power-source circuit board and gear plate are arranged on the same sidewall to reduce device size, then the height and width of the image forming apparatus can be reduced, but bias leakage occurs at the periphery of the gear plate
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is segmented into a main body portion and a displaced portion. The displaced portion is specifically positioned away from the gear plate periphery to prevent bias leakage while maintaining compact device dimensions. This segmentation allows the circuit board to fulfill both its electrical function and its role in preventing harmful electromagnetic field leakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The displaced portion of the circuit board acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the high-voltage power source and the gear plate. By positioning this portion at a specific distance from the gear plate periphery, it prevents direct coupling that would cause bias leakage, while still allowing the circuit board to perform its power supply function effectively.
2Ease of manufacture
If the conveyance path is arranged horizontally or inclined upwards to accommodate circuit boards, then circuit boards can be positioned in the available space, but the height of the image forming apparatus cannot be sufficiently reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyance path is redesigned to incline downwards towards the image formation position, utilizing the vertical dimension more effectively. This downward inclination allows the circuit boards to be arranged on the sidewall in a compact configuration, reducing the overall apparatus height while still providing adequate space for circuit board mounting and maintenance access.
Data Source
AI summary
A high-voltage circuit board and a main circuit board are arranged on the outer side surface of a left frame, and a conveyance path is provided so as to downwardly incline from a feed position near the uppermost part of the outer peripheral surface of a paper feed roller, toward an image formation position. Thus, the height position of an image forming section within a body casing can be lowered. As a result, the height of a laser printer can be made lower.