JP5209974B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a resin inner cover separate from the outer cover is attached to the inner surface of a resin outer cover.

Image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers that form images on paper by electrophotography are covered with a resin outer cover. For example, the top cover that also serves as a paper discharge tray can be opened and closed for jam processing, etc. An opening / closing cover is provided. An inner cover is provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing cover to cover various process devices inside the apparatus body when the opening / closing cover is opened.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-043662

  Although it is possible to mold the inner cover integrally with the opening / closing cover of the top cover, there is a problem that the molding die is enlarged and the cost is increased.

  In view of this, the inner cover is formed separately from the opening / closing cover, and the inner cover is attached to the inner surface of the opening / closing cover. Conventionally, the inner cover is attached to the inner surface of the opening / closing cover by screws.

  However, when the method of attaching a separate inner cover to the inner surface of the opening / closing cover by screwing as described above, a tool such as a screwdriver is required at the time of assembly, and the appearance is impaired because the screw can be seen from the outside. There is a problem of being.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the intended process is that the inner cover can be easily attached to the exterior cover without using a tool, and deterioration in the appearance of the attachment portion can be prevented. An object is to provide an image forming apparatus.

The present invention for achieving the above object is an image forming apparatus for attaching a resin inner cover, which is separate from the outer cover, to the inner surface of the resin outer cover,
The first engagement claw, the second engagement claw, and the locking boss are integrally projected on the inner surface of the exterior cover so as not to be exposed to the outer surface side ,
A taper surface whose height increases in the sliding direction of the inner cover is formed on the locking boss ,
Wherein the mounting surface of the inner cover, the engagement groove and the engagement hole and a locking boss first and second engagement claws of the outer cover are engaged to form a fitting hole for fitting,
The inner cover is slid along the inner surface of the outer cover while the first and second engaging claws of the outer cover are engaged with the engaging groove and the engaging hole of the inner cover. The inner cover is attached to the inner surface of the outer cover by fitting a locking boss of the outer cover into the hole.

According to the present invention, the inner cover is slid along the inner surface of the outer cover while the first and second engaging claws of the outer cover are engaged with the engaging grooves and the engaging holes of the inner cover. The inner cover can be easily attached to the inner surface of the outer cover without using a tool by fitting the engaging hole of the outer cover into the fitting hole of the inner cover. Further, since the inner cover can be attached to the exterior cover without using a fastener such as a screw, the fastener is not exposed to the outside and the appearance of the exterior cover is not deteriorated.

Furthermore, when the inner cover is slid along the inner surface of the outer cover and the engagement boss of the outer cover is fitted into the fitting hole of the inner cover, the inner cover is moved along the tapered surface formed in the locking buzz. The inner cover can be attached to the outer cover by easily fitting the fitting hole. After the inner cover fitting hole is once fitted to the locking boss of the outer cover, the fitting hole becomes the locking boss. Since it fits reliably, an inner cover is reliably attached to an exterior cover and does not come off easily.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the image forming apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an opening / closing cover to which an inner cover is attached, viewed from obliquely below, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of part A of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the inner cover, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are attachments of the inner cover to the opening / closing cover. It is a sectional side view which shows a structure.

  An image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a laser printer and includes a rectangular box-shaped apparatus main body 2. The apparatus main body 2 is incorporated in a main body frame 3 as shown in FIG. Various process devices (all not shown) such as a photosensitive drum, a charger, a developing device, a transfer device, and a fixing device are incorporated. The front surface of the apparatus main body 2 (the front side in FIG. 1 is the front side) is covered with an openable / closable front cover 4 that also serves as a manual feed tray, the left and right sides are covered with side covers 5 and 6, and the rear surface is covered with a rear cover 7. The top surface is covered with a top cover 8. The front cover 4, the side covers 5, 6, the rear cover 7 and the top cover 8 are all integrally formed of resin, and these constitute an exterior cover.

As shown in FIG. 1, a paper feed cassette 9 shown in FIG. 2 is detachably attached to the lower part of the apparatus main body 2, and the paper feed cassette 9 is attached and detached from the front side of the apparatus main body 2. In addition, an operation panel 10 is mounted on the front side right corner of the top cover 8. As shown in FIG. 2, the right side cover 6 is formed with a rectangular opening 6a for accessing the inside of the apparatus body 2 during maintenance, and the opening 6a is bent in an L shape. Covered by the molded auxiliary cover 11.

  Thus, in the laser printer 1 according to the present embodiment, an image is formed on a sheet through an electrophotographic process by various process devices (not shown) built in the apparatus main body 2, but the sheet on which the image is formed is formed. Is discharged to the top cover 8 and stocked. Here, the top cover 8 is provided with an opening / closing cover 8A that can be opened as shown in FIG. 1 during maintenance such as jam processing. Supported as possible. An inner cover 13 configured separately from the opening / closing cover 8A is attached to the inner surface (rear surface) of the opening / closing cover 8A. The inner cover 13 can operate with the front cover 4 opened. This is for covering the process section in the apparatus main body 2 when using the manual sheet feeding section, and is integrally formed in an arc curved surface as shown in FIGS.

  Here, the attachment structure of the inner cover 13 to the opening / closing cover 8A will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of left and right first engaging claws 8a are integrally formed on the front end edge of the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A, and the first engaging claws 8a on the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A. A pair of key-like left and right second engaging claws 8b are integrally formed at an obliquely rear side. A pair of left and right cruciform locking bosses 8c are integrally projected between the first engaging claw 8a and the second engaging claw 8b on the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A. Here, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, each locking boss 8c is directed forward (direction in which the inner cover 13 is slid when the inner cover 13 is attached (the direction of the arrow in FIGS. 6 and 9) ). A tapered surface 8c-1 is formed with a higher height.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the mounting surface of the inner cover 13 is formed with a pair of left and right engaging grooves 13a for engaging the first engaging claws 18a formed on the opening / closing cover 8A. At the same time, a pair of left and right engaging holes 13b are formed for engaging the second engaging claws 8b formed in the opening / closing cover 8A. Further, a pair of left and right fitting holes for fitting the pair of left and right engaging bosses 8c protruding from the opening / closing cover 8A inside the pair of left and right engaging holes 13b on the mounting surface of the inner cover 13. 13c is formed.

  Thus, the inner cover 13 is attached to the inner surface of the open / close cover 8A in the following manner.

  That is, the first engagement claw 8a of the opening / closing cover 8A is engaged with the engagement groove 13a of the inner cover 13 as shown in FIG. 7, and the opening and closing of the engagement hole 13b of the inner cover 13 as shown in FIG. With the second engaging claw 8b of the cover 8A engaged, the inner cover 13 is slid along the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. The inner cover 13 can be attached to the inner surface of the open / close cover 8A by fitting the locking boss 8c of the open / close cover 8A to the 13c. At this time, as described above, the locking boss 8c protruding from the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A is formed with the tapered surface 8c-1 whose height increases in the sliding direction of the inner cover 13 (see FIGS. 5 and 9). ), The inner cover 13 can be attached to the opening / closing cover 8A by easily fitting the fitting hole 13c of the inner cover 13 along the tapered surface 8c-1 formed in the locking boss 8c. After the fitting hole 13c is once fitted to the locking boss 8c of the opening / closing cover 8A, the fitting hole 13c is securely fitted to the locking boss 8c, so that the inner cover 13 is securely attached to the opening / closing cover 8A. And will not come off easily.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the first and second engagement claws 8a and 8b of the opening / closing cover 8A are engaged with the engagement grooves 13a and the engagement holes 13b of the inner cover 13, respectively. Then, the inner cover 13 is slid along the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A and the engaging boss 8c of the opening / closing cover 8A is fitted into the fitting hole 13c of the inner cover 13 without using a tool. It can be easily attached to the inner surface of the opening / closing cover 8A.

  Further, since the inner cover 13 can be attached to the opening / closing cover 8A without using a fastener such as a screw, the fastening member such as a screw is not exposed to the outside and the appearance of the opening / closing cover 8A is not deteriorated.

  Although the present invention has been described with respect to an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a laser printer, the present invention can be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and facsimiles in addition to printers. It is.

1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the open / close cover to which the inner cover of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is attached as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the opening / closing cover before the inner cover of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is attached, viewed obliquely from below. It is the A section enlarged detail drawing of FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inner cover of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a structure for attaching an inner cover to an opening / closing cover of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a structure for attaching an inner cover to an opening / closing cover of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a structure for attaching an inner cover to an opening / closing cover of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Apparatus main body 3 Main body frame 4 Front cover 5,6 Side cover 6a Side cover opening 7 Rear cover 8 Top cover 8A Open / close cover (exterior cover)
8a First engaging claw of the opening / closing cover 8b Second engaging claw of the opening / closing cover 8c Locking boss of the opening / closing cover 8c-1 Tapered surface of the locking boss 9 Paper feed cassette 10 Operation panel 11 Auxiliary cover 12 Hinge 13 Inner Cover 13a Inner cover engagement groove 13b Inner cover engagement hole 13c Inner cover engagement hole

Claims (1)

An image forming apparatus that is attached to the inner surface of a resin outer cover by sliding a resin inner cover separate from the outer cover,
The first engagement claw, the second engagement claw, and the locking boss are integrally projected on the inner surface of the exterior cover so as not to be exposed to the outer surface side ,
A taper surface whose height increases in the sliding direction of the inner cover is formed on the locking boss ,
Wherein the mounting surface of the inner cover, the engagement groove and the engagement hole and a locking boss first and second engagement claws of the outer cover are engaged to form a fitting hole for fitting,
The inner cover is slid along the inner surface of the outer cover while the first and second engaging claws of the outer cover are engaged with the engaging groove and the engaging hole of the inner cover. An image forming apparatus, wherein an inner cover is attached to an inner surface of an outer cover by fitting a locking boss of the outer cover into the hole.

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