JP4917352B2 - Fall prevention device / image forming device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a fall prevention device for preventing the fall of OA equipment, a copying machine having the fall prevention device, a printer, a facsimile, an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction machine having at least two of these functions, and a plotter. About.

From the viewpoint of efficient use of occupied space, compactness, and the like, OA equipment is mainly a so-called vertical equipment having a height size larger than a horizontal size.
Also in the image forming apparatus, there is a so-called in-body discharge type vertical form in which a discharge space is provided below the scanner located at the top of the apparatus main body, and the sheet is conveyed in a substantially vertical direction and discharged into the discharge space. It has been generalized.
In such a vertical device, the position of the center of gravity is inevitably high, so that when an external force is unexpectedly applied to the apparatus main body, the device tends to fall down.

In order to cope with this problem, various proposals have been conventionally made. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-133867 uses a support shaft of a caster provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus, and provides a curved fan-shaped fall prevention member on the support shaft so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. A fall prevention device is described in which a member is used by protruding in the horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the apparatus main body.
Patent Document 2 describes a configuration in which an elastic member is engaged with mounting brackets protruding from both sides on the front side and the back side of the bottom surface of the apparatus body to obtain a fall prevention and vibration prevention function.
Patent Document 3 describes a tipping prevention device that obtains stability by attaching a plate-like member having an area larger than the device projection area to the lower surface of the device main body.

JP 2002-252475 A JP-A-8-18247 JP-A-10-246999 JP-A-7-36242

In the method described in Patent Document 1, in order to obtain a fall prevention function, a curved fan-shaped fall prevention member must be installed so as to protrude outward from the periphery of the bottom surface of the apparatus body. Since it protrudes greatly, the movement range of the operator's foot is narrowed, and the crampedness during operation cannot be denied.
The methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 have the same problem.
Further, in the method described in Patent Document 3, when moving the apparatus, the plate member must be removed and reattached after the movement, which is cumbersome and cumbersome, and the workability during movement is extremely poor.

  The main object of the present invention is to provide a fall prevention device that can easily change the installation position of the device without deteriorating the usability (operability) of the device and an image forming apparatus having the fall prevention device.

To achieve the above object, the device in the invention according to claim 1, in fall prevention device provided in a bottom portion of the components in order to prevent the collapse of the device for setting surface, facing the installation surface A fixing bracket fixed to the bottom surface of the fixing bracket and a tipping prevention member fixed to the fixing bracket with a screw, the tipping prevention member is formed in an L shape, and the L-shaped one end portion is It is inserted into the fixing bracket from the lower side and fixed with the screw, and in the fixed state, the other end projects to the outside in the horizontal direction of the device, and pins projecting in the horizontal direction at both ends of the fall prevention member The fixing bracket is formed with a slit that supports the pin and guides the displacement of the pin while the screw is removed. By rotating in the height direction of the device by the guide structure of the pin, the fall prevention member has the L-shaped one end along the installation surface and the other end is the height of the device. The fixing bracket is held at a retracted position along the direction .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the overturn prevention device according to the first aspect, the overturn prevention member is provided so as to be position-adjustable in the height direction of the device with respect to the fixing bracket. It is characterized by.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the overturn prevention device according to the first or second aspect , the fixing bracket and the overturn prevention member are disposed between four corners adjacent to each other on the bottom surface of the device, and , And having a length extending along one side located between the adjacent corners .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus , the fall prevention device according to any one of the first to third aspects is provided.
In the invention according to claim 5, in the image forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
The apparatus has a leg on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, has a weight balance in which the center of gravity shifts from the center of the horizontal section, and the fall prevention device is provided on the side where the center of gravity shifts. And

According to the present invention, since the fall prevention member can be separated from the installation surface with a simple operation, it is possible to efficiently change the installation position of a device such as an image forming apparatus with little effort.
According to the present invention, even if the image forming apparatus has a center of gravity biased to one side of the apparatus, it is possible to obtain a good fall prevention function and to prevent a decrease in operability.
According to the present invention, since it can be directly attached to the wall surface appropriately with the fall prevention device, the degree of freedom in the installation layout of the image forming apparatus can be increased.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, other than the fourth embodiment is shown as a reference example.
First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a color image forming apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as “image forming apparatus”), which is a multifunction machine having both a copying function, a facsimile function, and a printer function.
In the figure, reference numeral 100 denotes an image forming apparatus main body, and 200 denotes a scanner which is mounted by forming an in-body discharge space 300 so as to open one side (left side) adjacent to the front of the apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 2, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 400 is mounted on the scanner 200 so that the front side of the apparatus can be opened and closed up and down around a rotation axis at the rear (rear) of the apparatus. 1 shows it removed.
On the right side surface of the image forming apparatus main body 100, a double-sided unit 500 serving as a reversing unit is attached so as to be opened and closed to the left and right by a rotating shaft provided below.

On the side opposite to the side to which the duplex unit 500 is attached, a post-processing device that performs stapling, punching, etc. on the paper discharged from a relay conveyance unit (not shown) that relays the paper discharged to the in-body discharge space 300 (Not shown) can also be attached.
As shown in FIG. 1, a front cover 10 is provided on the front (front) of the image forming apparatus main body 100 so that it can be opened and closed forward and backward by a rotating shaft provided below, and when the front cover 10 is opened, Image forming stations (hereinafter also referred to as “process cartridges”) 20c, 20m, 20y, and 20b extending from the front of the apparatus, which will be described later, can be pulled out from the front of the apparatus.
Below the front cover 10, paper feed trays 12 are provided in two stages so that they can be pulled out toward the front. An operation panel 14 is provided in front of the scanner 200. In this image forming apparatus, the installation space is reduced by forming the in-body discharge space 300 between the image forming apparatus main body 100 and the scanner 200. In addition, by opening and closing the front cover 10 and the duplex unit 500, maintenance such as component replacement and maintenance inspection is possible.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the automatic document feeder 400 is attached on the scanner 200 of the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus book 100 is placed on the paper feed table 600. Instead of the paper feed table 600, a storage box for storing supplies and the like may be installed at the lowest part of the apparatus. From this viewpoint, hereinafter, the lowest part of the apparatus is also referred to as a storage box.
Further, the whole of the image forming apparatus main body 100 and the storage box 600 may be referred to as the apparatus main body 100.
An image forming device 16 is provided in the image forming apparatus main body 100. The image forming device 16 is provided with four image forming stations 20c, 20m, 20y, and 20b of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black arranged in tandem. Each of the image forming stations 20c, 20m, 20y, and 20b is provided with photosensitive members 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b as drum-shaped image carriers.

As each photoconductor 21c, 21m, 21y, 21b rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing, each image forming station 20c, 20m, 20y, 20b first applies a bias voltage to each charging device to make the surface uniform. Charged. Next, writing is performed by irradiating laser light from the common writing device 23 based on the read signal from the scanner 200, and electrostatic latent images are formed on the photoreceptors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b.
Thereafter, in each developing device, toner that is powder is attached to make the electrostatic latent image visible, and a single color image is formed on each of the photoreceptors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b.

As the photoconductors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b rotate, an endless belt-shaped intermediate transfer body 25 that contacts the photoconductors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b and is wound around a plurality of rollers rotates counterclockwise in the figure. Travel in the direction.
By the primary transfer devices 26c, 26m, 26y, and 26b, the single color images on the photoreceptors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b are primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer member 25 in order from cyan, and the transfer images are superimposed to form an intermediate transfer member. A full color image is formed on 25.
On the other hand, one of the feed rollers 28 is selectively rotated at an appropriate timing, and the recording medium P is fed out from the corresponding paper feed tray 12 in the image forming apparatus main body 100 or the feed roller 29 of the paper feed table 600. 1 is selectively rotated, the recording medium P is fed out from the corresponding paper feed tray 30 in the paper feed table 600, is transported through the recording medium transport path 31 and abuts between the pair of registration rollers 32. It can be stopped.

The pair of registration rollers 32 is rotated in synchronization with the full color image on the intermediate transfer member 25, and the full color image is secondarily transferred to the recording medium P by the secondary transfer device 33.
Thereafter, the recording medium P after the full-color image transfer is conveyed upward as it is through the recording medium conveying path 31, and unfixed transfer toner is fixed when passing through the fixing nip of the fixing device 34, and is discharged by the discharge roller pair 35. The image forming apparatus main body 100 is stacked on the paper discharge tray 36 in the in-body paper discharge space 300.
The photoreceptors 21c, 21m, 21y, and 21b after the completion of the primary transfer are cleaned by the primary cleaning devices of the image forming stations 20c, 20m, 20y, and 20b, and the transfer residual toner is removed and initialized.
After the completion of the secondary transfer, the intermediate transfer member 25 is cleaned by the secondary cleaning device 38, and the transfer residual toner is removed and initialized. Reference numerals 39c, 39m, 39y, and 39b in the drawing indicate the respective color toner bottles that supply toner to the respective color developing devices.

The scanner 200 includes a housing composed of a scanner frame 40, a large first contact glass 41 and an elongated second contact glass 42 fixed to the upper portion of the scanner frame 40.
In the housing, a first traveling body (not shown) having a light source 44 and a first mirror 45, and a second traveling body 49 having a second mirror 47 and a third mirror 48, the latter being half of the former. A known optical system that travels along the first contact glass 41 at a speed and optically scans the document surface on the first contact glass 41 is provided.
The scanning light emitted from the light source 44 and reflected from the document surface is sequentially reflected on the first mirror 45, the second mirror 47, and the third mirror 48 and imaged by the fixed lens 50. CCD) 51. The captured image data is appropriately processed as a digital signal and sent to a remote place via a telephone line by a facsimile function or sent as a read signal to the writing device 23 of the image forming device 16.

The automatic document feeder 400 includes a first pressure plate 53 and a second pressure plate 54 that press the document toward the first contact glass 41 and the second contact glass 42. By being rotated around a rotation axis (not shown), the scanner 200 can be opened from the contact glass.
In the closed state, even a thick original such as a book can be brought into close contact with the first contact glass 41 by the first pressure plate 53. The sheet-like document S that is not bound like a book can be set on the movable plate 56 of the document stacking unit 55 with the document surface facing up in a stacked state.

When a scan start command is input by an operator's operation, the feeding roller 57 in contact with the uppermost sheet-like document S rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the sheet-like document S is fed to the document feeding unit 58. Sent to. In the sheet-like document feeding unit 58, even if the sheet-like document S is fed in a state where two or more sheets overlap each other, the sheet-like document feeding unit 58 is reliably separated and conveyed one by one by the separation roller pair.
The paper passes through the transport roller pair 60, the transport rollers 61 and 62, and the discharge roller pair 63 in order, and is discharged in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and is stacked on the document discharge tray 64 with the document surface down.

In addition, when the sheet-like document S passes between the second pressure plate 54 and the second contact glass 42 until the discharge, image information on the back surface can be read by the image sensor 65.
At this time, the scanner 200 can perform optical scanning without moving the first traveling body and the second traveling body 49. A white sheet is attached to a portion of the first pressure plate 53 that contacts the sheet-like document S. This is because the color of the first pressure plate 53 is read as a background by the scanner 200 when the sheet-like document S is thin enough to show the back side. For the same reason, the transport roller 61 and the second pressure plate 54 are also white.

In the duplex unit 500, a switchback path 71 and a refeed path 72 are provided in the frame 70, and switching guides 73 and 74 and a reversal are made so that the recording medium P on which the one-side recording has been performed is returned to the recording medium conveyance path. A possible roller 75 and a reversible roller 76 are provided.
Two rollers 77, 78 are in contact with the reversible drive roller 76, and when this roller 76 rotates clockwise, a manual recording medium from the manual feed tray 79 cooperates with the roller 78. When the recording medium P is rotated counterclockwise, the recording medium P on which the one-side recording has been performed is re-feeded in the direction of the registration roller 32 in cooperation with the roller 77.
When images are recorded on both the front and back surfaces of the recording medium P, the switching guide 73 is rotated clockwise from the state shown in the figure, and the one-side recorded recording medium P that has passed through the fixing device 22 is conveyed by the roller pair 80 along the conveying path 81. To the duplex unit 500, switched by the switching guide 74, conveyed by the roller pair 82, and once sent to the switchback path 71.

Then, with the rear end interposed therebetween, the roller pair 82 is rotated in the reverse direction and the switching guide 74 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction, whereby the recording medium P is switched back by the switchback path 71. After being reversed, the sheet is fed into the refeed path 72.
After being sequentially conveyed by several roller pairs, finally, the roller pairs 76 and 77 are transported again into the image forming apparatus main body 100 and are brought into contact with the registration roller pair 32 and stopped.
Thereafter, the sheet is re-fed to the secondary transfer position at an appropriate timing, and an image separately formed on the intermediate transfer member 25 is transferred to record an image on the back surface, and then fixed by the fixing device 34 again. The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 36 by the discharge roller pair 35.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state where the back cover on the back side of the image forming apparatus is removed. In the in-body discharge type image forming apparatus, the electrical components are gathered on the back side of the apparatus and arranged in the vertical direction to save space on the back side of the apparatus.
As an electrical member (for example, a motor, a substrate, etc.) for each main component of the image forming apparatus, the electrical component 2A of the reading system is discharged from the rear surface of the scanner 200, and the left side of the image forming apparatus main body 100 is discharged from the paper feed cassette. The electrical component 2B for the paper conveyance system up to the paper tray, the electrical component 2C for the toner supply system on the upper right side, the electrical component 2D for the image forming system on the lower right side, and the electrical component 2E for the paper feed system on the lower side Are arranged respectively.

On the back side of the image forming apparatus main body 100, an electrical box 5 as a rotating structure is provided on the image forming apparatus main body 100 so as to cover a range where the toner replenishment system and image forming system electrical components 2 </ b> C and 2 </ b> D are attached. On the other hand, it is attached so as to be openable and closable around a rotating shaft (not shown). The electrical box 5 has a box shape in which the rear side of the apparatus is opened, and maintenance of electrical components can be performed from the open part. A plurality of heat radiation holes (not shown) for radiating the internal heat to the outside of the box are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the electrical box 5.
A BICU, a controller, and the like, which are system control boards for controlling writing, motors, and sensors, are attached to the electrical box 5.
Hereinafter, each electrical component and the electrical box 5 are collectively referred to as an electrical component aggregation unit 700.

As shown in FIG. 4, casters 601 are provided at four corners on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 100, and the installation state with respect to the installation surface (floor surface) is provided on the front side of the apparatus (also referred to as the apparatus front surface or operation surface). An adjuster 602 is provided as installation adjusting means for adjusting (stability).
As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus main body 100 is positioned and placed by inserting a pin 603 fixed to the upper surface of the storage box 600 into a hole (not shown) formed at a position opposed to the bottom surface.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, one side (also referred to as a side or side surface) where the duplex unit 500 of the apparatus main body 100 is located, and one side (rear surface) where the electrical component consolidating unit 700 adjacent to the one side is located. In each case, a fall prevention device 604 is provided. 2 and 3, the caster 601, the adjuster 602, and the fall prevention device 604 are omitted.

The reason why the fall prevention device 604 is provided on the right side and the back side of the apparatus main body 100 will be described below.
FIG. 7 schematically shows a horizontal cross section of the apparatus main body 100. In order to efficiently use the space in the image forming apparatus main body 100, each electrical component is concentrated on one side (rear side), and the position of the in-body discharge space and the overall usability Therefore, the double-sided unit 500 is positioned on the right side S2 and the electrical component consolidating unit 700 is positioned on the back S3 toward the front surface S1 of the apparatus main body 100.
In such a layout, the center-of-gravity position G of the entire apparatus is a position close to the right side and the back side from the center of the apparatus main body 100. For this reason, the entire apparatus is in an unstable state in terms of weight balance, and when an external force F is applied unexpectedly by an operator pressing it from the front surface S1 side or the left side surface S3 side, there is a risk of falling in each direction. is there.

In such a weight balance, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the front cover 10 is opened, and among the process cartridges housed in the apparatus main body 100, the process cartridge 20c is pulled out and held in the state shown in the figure. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the gravity center position G moves to the front surface S1 side.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, when the process cartridge 20c is pulled away from the apparatus main body 100, the center of gravity G is closer to the right side and back side than the case shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 11, even when the number of sheets in the sheet feeding tray 12 is small, the center of gravity G is closer to the right side and the back side than the case shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 12, when the duplex unit 500 is opened, the center of gravity G is closer to the right side than in the case shown in FIG.
Although not shown, when the ADF is opened upward, the center-of-gravity position G is further shifted to the back surface S3 side than the case shown in FIG.

Thus, the center of gravity G changes depending on conditions such as the process cartridge pull-out operation and paper reduction, and the right side surface S2 and the back surface S3 are originally protected against the action of external force by installing the double-sided unit 500 and integrating the electrical components. Weak and particularly prone to falling.
In the present embodiment, in consideration of such fluctuation of the center of gravity position G and the form characteristics of the image forming apparatus, the right side surface S2 and the back surface S3 where the center of gravity position G is biased among the four sides of the apparatus main body 100 are prevented from falling. A device 604 is disposed, and an adjuster 602 that does not interfere with the operation is disposed on the front surface S1.
That is, in general, the entire image forming apparatus is regarded as one solid object, and a system in which the fall prevention members are evenly arranged at the four corners is employed in order to stabilize the image forming apparatus. In consideration of the weight balance of the entire forming apparatus, the fall prevention device 604 is arranged with priority, and the obstacle on the operation surface side is solved at the same time.

Hereinafter, the fall prevention device 604 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 13, the fall prevention device 604 attached to the right side surface S <b> 2 includes a fixing bracket 605 fixed to the bottom surface of the storage box 600 as the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 100, and a vertical direction ( It includes a fall prevention member 606 whose position in the height direction of the apparatus is adjusted, a screw 607 as a fastening member that integrally fixes the fixing bracket 605 and the fall prevention member 606, and the like.
The fixing bracket 605 is fixed to a screw hole 608 provided on the bottom surface of the storage box 600 with a screw 609. The fixing bracket 605 may be fixed to the storage box 600 by welding or the like.
The fall prevention device 604 attached to the back surface S3 side has the same configuration.

As shown in FIG. 14, the fixing bracket 605 is formed of a metal plate (steel plate) as a so-called angle member having an L-shaped cross section, and both ends are reinforced by side plates 605a.
The fixing bracket 605 has a plurality of groove-shaped reinforcing ribs 605b spaced apart in the longitudinal direction by pressing or the like so as to protrude to the back side, that is, not to interfere with the surface alignment with the fall prevention member 606. Formed and stiffened. Here, a steel plate on which reinforcing ribs 605b are formed in advance is bent.
In the fixing bracket 605, reference numeral 605c indicates an insertion hole for the screw 609, and 605d indicates a screwing hole for the screw 607.

Similarly, the fall prevention member 606 is formed of a metal plate (steel plate) to have an L-shaped cross section, and includes a vertically extending fixing portion 606A that faces the fixing bracket 605 and a substantially horizontally extending protrusion 606B. ing.
Positioning pieces 606a with respect to the fixing bracket 605 are bent and formed integrally at the both ends of the fixing portion 606A, and long holes 606b for position adjustment through which the screws 607 are inserted extend vertically at two locations. Is formed. In addition, the long hole 606b and the screw 607 are omitted in FIGS.
Further, the fall prevention member 606 is formed by bending a steel plate in which groove-shaped reinforcement ribs 606c are formed in advance by press working or the like, and the reinforcement rib 606c formed in the same L-shape as the cross section of the fall prevention member 606 is long. The presence of several strips at intervals in the direction increases the rigidity required for the fall prevention member.
The reinforcing rib 606c protrudes in the opposite direction to the reinforcing rib 605b of the fixing bracket 605 so as not to interfere with the surface alignment.
In this embodiment, the groove-shaped reinforcing rib 606c is formed to increase the rigidity of the entire fall prevention member 606. However, as shown in FIG. 15, for example, a separate reinforcing rib 606d is fixed to increase the rigidity. It may be. The same applies to the fixing bracket 605.

FIG. 16 is a view as seen from the bottom side of the storage box 600. The caster 601 integrally has a rectangular fixing plate 601a, and is fixed to the bottom surface of the storage box 600 at four locations by screws (not shown) through the fixing plate 601a (not shown in FIG. 13).
The adjuster 602 has a function of adjusting the distance between the installation surface and the bottom surface of the apparatus main body 100, and also plays a role as a fall prevention member on the front surface S1 side. For this reason, the conical installation plate 602a that comes into contact with the installation surface is disposed so as to slightly protrude from the front surface of the paper feed table 600 within a range that does not interfere with the operation area.

As shown in FIG. 17A, during use, the fall prevention member 606 is fixed so that a slight gap d exists between the protruding portion 606B and the installation surface FL. Of course, you may make it contact the installation surface FL.
When the image forming apparatus is moved, as shown in FIG. 17B, the screw 607 is loosened from the right side and the rear surface of the apparatus main body, the fall prevention member 606 is pulled upward, and the screw 607 is fixed again. Further, the adjuster 602 is slightly raised.
Although the movement is possible even in the state of the gap d, there is a possibility of being caught when the installation surface FL is not flat.

As shown in FIG. 18, the amount of protrusion of the overturn prevention member 606 of the overturn prevention device 604 provided on the double-sided unit 500 side in the substantially horizontal direction is within the projected area on one side (right side S2) where the double-sided unit 500 is located. Is set to
Therefore, even if the duplex unit 500 side is brought into contact with (directly attached to) the wall surface W due to the installation layout of the image forming apparatus, it is not obstructed by the fall prevention member 606.
Further, when standing on the right side of the apparatus main body and opening the double-sided unit 500 for maintenance such as jam processing, the fall prevention member 606 does not get in the way of the maintenance worker's standing position.
As shown in FIG. 19 (viewed from above), this is the same on the back surface S3 side, and the amount of protrusion of the overturning prevention member 606 in the substantially horizontal direction is one side where the electrical component aggregation unit 700 is located. It is set within the projected area of (rear surface S3).

As described above, when the external force F1 is applied from the front surface S1 side, the overturn prevention device 604 attached to the back surface S3 side prevents the overturn, and when the external force F2 is applied from the left side surface S4 side, the right side surface S2 side is applied. When the attached fall prevention device 604 prevents the fall and when an external force F3 is applied from the back surface S3 side, the fall is prevented by the adjuster 602 arranged on the front surface S1 side.
Therefore, in the vertical image forming apparatus having the double-sided unit 500 on the right side S2 and the electrical member merging unit 700 on the back S3 side, the fall prevention function is effectively obtained without narrowing the scaffold on the operation side. Therefore, even when the image forming apparatus is moved, it is not necessary to remove it only by a screw operation, and the workability is good. Further, since the screw 607 is exposed to the outside, the screw 607 is easily visible and easy to operate.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the same parts as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and unless otherwise specified, description of the configuration and functions already described is omitted, and only the main part will be described (the same applies to other embodiments below).
In the first embodiment, the double-sided unit 500 and the electrical component aggregation unit 700 protrude in the horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, and therefore the fall prevention member 606 located on the bottom side becomes an obstacle even when directly attached to the wall surface. However, when the apparatus main body has a substantially flat configuration in the vertical direction, the presence of the fall-preventing member 606 is an obstacle when the apparatus main body must be directly attached to the wall surface in the installation layout of the image forming apparatus. .
The present embodiment aims to solve this problem.

As shown in FIG. 20, the fall prevention device 610 according to the present embodiment has a cylindrical or columnar fixing bracket 611 that is fixed to the bottom surface of the storage box 600 by a technique such as welding, and the fixing bracket 611. And a fall prevention member 612 whose position can be adjusted in the vertical direction, and a screw 613 for fixing the fixing bracket 611 and the fall prevention member 612 together.
The fall prevention member 612 is fitted to the fixing bracket 611 and is slidable in a vertical direction (device height direction) and a horizontal direction, and an L-shape fixed to the bottom surface of the base 613. Plate 615.

The fixing bracket 611 is formed with a screw hole (not shown) into which the screw 613 is screwed.
The base 614 is formed with an elongated hole 614a for adjusting the position extending in the vertical direction and as an insertion hole for the screw 613, and a laterally elongated hole 614b extending in the circumferential direction connected to the elongated hole 614a on the lower end side.
The fall prevention devices 610 are respectively attached to both sides of the right side surface S2, and are similarly attached to the back surface S3.

Similar to the first embodiment, the fall prevention member 612 is fixed at a position where a slight gap is formed between the plate 615 and the installation surface. Similarly, when moving the image forming apparatus, the screw 613 is loosened and the fall prevention member 612 is pulled up.
FIG. 21A shows a use state in which a fall prevention function is obtained. When the right side surface S2 is directly attached to the wall surface, the screw 613 is loosened and the fall prevention member 612 is pulled up, and then rotated to the retracted position so as to enter the bottom surface of the storage box 600 using the laterally long hole 614b. After being rotated, it is fixed with screws 613.
When rotated, as shown in FIG. 21 (b), the entire fall prevention member 612 enters (becomes hidden) in the bottom area of the storage box 600 and does not protrude from the right side S2. Thereby, the right side surface S2 can be directly attached to the wall surface W. Although not shown, the same applies to the back surface S3 side.

A third embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 22 and 23. This embodiment is also intended to enable direct attachment to a wall surface.
The fall prevention device 620 according to the present embodiment includes a fixing bracket 605 (not shown) in the first embodiment, a fall prevention member 621 having a divided configuration, and a screw 607 that fixes them together. .
The fall prevention member 621 includes a fixing portion 621A that is fixed to the fixing bracket 605 and a protruding portion 621B that protrudes in a substantially horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the storage box 600. Reference numeral 621a indicates a positioning piece, and 621b indicates a long hole.
The projecting portion 621B is provided on the first projecting portion 61B-1 integrated with the fixed portion 621A and the first projecting portion 621B-1, and is superimposed on the second projecting portion 621B whose position can be adjusted in the projecting direction. -2.

At both ends of the second protrusion 621B-2, rail portions 621B-2a that are slidable by being engaged with the ends of the first protrusion 621B-1 are formed by bending. Correspondingly, a notch recess 621c that allows passage of the rail portion 621B-2a is formed in the fixing portion 621A.
Further, screw holes 621B-2b for setting the use position and the retracted position are formed at intervals in the protruding direction.
The first protrusion 621B-1 is inserted into the screw hole 621B-2b and screwed into the screw hole 621B-2b to integrally fix the first protrusion 621B-1 and the second protrusion 621B-2. 1a is formed.
The integration of the first projecting portion 621B-1 and the second projecting portion 621B-2 is ensured also by the rail portion 621B-2a, and for this reason, the system is fixed with one screw 622. The rail portion 621B-2a also serves as a positioning piece.

As shown in FIG. 23A, the fall prevention member 621 is fixed at a position where a slight gap is formed between the second projecting portion 621B-2 and the installation surface. When the image forming apparatus is moved, as shown in FIG. 23B, the screw 607 is loosened to raise the fall prevention member 621 and the adjuster 602 is slightly raised as in the first embodiment.
Further, in order to enable direct attachment to the wall surface, as shown in FIG. 23 (b), the screw 622 is removed and the second projecting portion 621B-2 is slid to the retracted position, and the screw corresponding to this is removed. Screws 622 are screwed into the holes 621B-2b and fixed.
In the use position shown in FIG. 23A, when the overlapping portion between the first protrusion 621B-1 and the second protrusion 621B-2 is small and the integral rigidity is weak, the second protrusion 621B is used. -2 may be widened in the protruding direction so as to overlap the entire first protruding portion 621B-1 even at the use position.

A fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25. This embodiment is also intended to enable direct attachment to a wall surface.
The fall prevention device 625 according to the present embodiment has a fixing bracket 626 that is fixed to the bottom surface of the storage box 600, and an L-shaped cross section that is inserted into the fixing bracket 626 from below and supported by a pin that will be described later. , And a screw 607 for fixing them together.
The fall prevention member 627 has support portions 627a at both ends, and pins 627b are fixed to the support portions 627a so as to protrude in the horizontal direction with a space in the vertical direction. In the fall prevention member 627, reference numeral 627c indicates a long hole for adjustment.
The side plate 626a of the fixing bracket 626 is formed with a slit 628 that supports the upper pin 627b and guides its rotational displacement, and supports the lower pin 627b and guides its rotational displacement. 629 is formed.
The slit 628 and the slit 629 are composed of vertical portions 628a and 629a, arc portions 628b and 629b, and horizontal portions 628c and 629c, respectively. In the fixing bracket 626, reference numeral 626b denotes a screw hole into which the screw 607 is screwed.

As shown in FIG. 25 (a), in the use state (use position), the fall prevention member 627 is fixed at a position where a slight gap is formed between the installation surface.
The position of the fall prevention member 627 in the vertical direction can be moved by moving the pin 627b in the slit 628 and the vertical portions 628a and 629a of the slit 629. When moving the image forming apparatus, the screw 607 is loosened and pulled up. .
When the retracted position is set, as shown in FIG. 25 (b), the screw 607 is removed and the fall prevention member 627 is rotated in the vertical direction, and finally, as shown in FIG. The pin 627b enters the horizontal portions 628c and 629c of the slit 628 and the slit 629, and does not rotate. This enables direct attachment to the wall surface.

A fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed is not uniformly flat, and may have a stepped portion 630 as shown in FIG. 26, for example. In such a case, when the image forming apparatus has to be used directly attached to the stepped portion 630, in the above-described bottom mounting type tipping prevention device, the tipping prevention member protrudes and hits the stepped portion 630. Can not be set.
The present embodiment aims to deal with this problem.
The fall prevention device 635 according to the present embodiment includes the fall prevention member 606 according to the first embodiment and a screw 607 that fixes the fall prevention member 606 to the outer surface of the bottom surface portion of the storage box 600.
A screw hole into which the screw 607 is screwed is formed on the outer surface of the storage box 600. That is, in this embodiment, the side surface of the storage box 600 is used as a fixing bracket.
When moving the image forming apparatus, the screw 607 is loosened and the toppling prevention member 606 is pulled up as described in the first embodiment.
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to satisfactorily obtain a fall prevention function while directly attaching to the stepped portion 630.

1 is a perspective view in which a part of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention is omitted. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an entire image forming apparatus. It is the outline perspective view seen from the back side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the entire image forming apparatus viewed from the right side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which an image forming apparatus main body and a storage box are separated. It is the perspective view which looked at the storage box from the back side slant. 2 is a schematic diagram of a horizontal cross section showing the center of gravity position of the entire image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which one process cartridge is pulled out from the image forming apparatus main body. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic horizontal cross-sectional view showing the position of the center of gravity of the entire image forming apparatus in a state where one process cartridge is pulled out. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a horizontal section showing the position of the center of gravity when the process cartridge shown in FIG. 9 is taken out. It is a schematic diagram of the horizontal section which shows the gravity center position when the paper of a paper feed tray runs short. It is a schematic diagram of the horizontal cross section which shows the gravity center position when a double-sided unit is open | released. It is a disassembled perspective view of the fall prevention device etc. in the bottom of a storage box. It is an expansion perspective view of a fall prevention device. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of a fall prevention member. It is the figure which looked at the storage box from the bottom side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a use operation of the overturn prevention device, where (a) shows a use state, and (b) shows a state in which the overturn prevention member is pulled upward so that the image forming apparatus can be moved. It is a general | schematic front view which shows the state which directly attached the double-sided unit side to the wall surface. It is a horizontal section which shows the fall prevention function in each side. It is a perspective view of the fall prevention device concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the use operation | movement in 2nd Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows a use condition, (b) is a figure which shows a retracted state. It is a principal part disassembled perspective view of the fall prevention apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. 9A and 9B are schematic cross-sectional views showing a use operation in the third embodiment, where FIG. 9A is a view showing a use state, and FIG. FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the fall prevention apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the use operation | movement in 4th Embodiment, (a) is a figure which shows a use condition, (b) is a figure which shows the state in which the fall prevention member is rotating, (c) is a fall prevention member It is a figure which shows the state which set to the evacuation position. It is principal part sectional drawing of the fall prevention apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E Electrical component 100 Device main body 500 Double-sided unit as reversing unit 602 Adjuster as installation adjusting means 604, 610, 620, 625, 635 Fall prevention device 605, 611, 626 Fixing bracket 606, 612, 621, 627 Fall prevention member 606c Reinforcement rib 607 Screw as fastening member G Center of gravity position

Claims (5)

In fall prevention device provided in a bottom portion of the components in order to prevent the collapse of the device for setting surface,
A fixing bracket fixed to the bottom surface of the device facing the installation surface , and a fall prevention member fixed to the fixing bracket with a screw,
The fall prevention member is formed in an L shape, and one end portion of the L shape is inserted into the fixing bracket from the lower side and fixed with the screw, and the other end portion of the device is fixed in the fixed state. Protrudes outward in the horizontal direction,
A pin protruding in the horizontal direction is formed at both ends of the fall prevention member, and a slit for guiding the displacement is formed in the fixing bracket while supporting the pin,
With the screw removed, the fall prevention member is rotated in the height direction of the device by the pin guide structure by the slit, so that the fall prevention member has the L-shaped one end. A fall prevention device , wherein the fixing bracket is held by the fixing bracket at a retracted position along the installation surface and along the height direction of the device. The fall prevention device according to claim 1,
The fall prevention device, wherein the fall prevention member is provided so as to be position-adjustable in the height direction of the device with respect to the fixing bracket . The fall prevention device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The fixing bracket and the overturn preventing member are disposed between adjacent corners of the four corners of the bottom surface of the device, and have a length extending along one side located between the adjacent corners. A fall prevention device characterized by that. An image forming apparatus having a fall prevention device according to claim 1. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 .
The apparatus has a leg on the bottom surface of the apparatus main body, has a weight balance in which the center of gravity shifts from the center of the horizontal section, and the fall prevention device is provided on the side where the center of gravity shifts. An image forming apparatus.

Images