Printer Housing Recess for USB Storage Nesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image-forming apparatuses, such as laser printers, face issues with external devices like USB memory devices projecting out, leading to potential damage, space inefficiency, and user safety concerns due to accidental snagging.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a recessed portion on the apparatus' housing, allowing external devices to be attached and accommodated within the housing, preventing projection and enhancing user safety and space utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If external devices are connected to the image-forming apparatus using conventional sockets on the exposed surface, then ease of connection is improved, but device safety and space efficiency deteriorate due to projection and accidental snagging
Solution Approach 1:
The external device is nested within a recessed portion of the housing when connected. The recessed portion is formed in the housing surface, allowing the external device to be received and stored inside the housing rather than projecting outward, thereby preventing accidental snagging while maintaining front-face accessibility for connection.
2Ease of operation
If external devices are connected on the exposed front face, then ease of connection is improved, but space efficiency deteriorates due to projection outside the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The recessed portion is formed in the housing to receive and store the external device when connected. This nesting arrangement allows the external device to be accommodated within the housing boundaries rather than projecting outward, thereby optimizing space efficiency while maintaining front-face accessibility for connection operations.
3Ease of operation
If external devices are connected using conventional sockets, then connection accessibility is improved, but harmful factors increase due to accidental snagging and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The external device is received and stored within the recessed portion of the housing when connected. This nesting configuration prevents the external device from projecting outward where it could be accidentally snagged by clothing or other objects, thereby eliminating the harmful factor of accidental damage while maintaining front-face accessibility for connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The recessed portion is designed in advance to prevent the external device from projecting outward. By creating this protective recess structure beforehand, the design preemptively counteracts the potential harmful effect of accidental snagging before it can occur during use.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for image formation is disclosed which includes an imaging device forming images on record media; a housing defining a front face, a rear face, both side faces, a top face and a bottom face, to thereby house the imaging device; a recessed portion configured so as to be openable at selected at least one of the front face, the both side faces and the top face of the housing; and an attachment mechanism allowing a data-storable external storage device to be attached to the apparatus for electrical connection thereto, the attachment mechanism being in a position allowing the external storage device, when attached to the attachment mechanism, to be accommodated within the recessed portion.