JP7412907B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (eg, a laser beam printer, an LED printer, etc.).

2. Description of the Related Art In image forming apparatuses, a configuration in which electronic boards such as a controller board and a power supply board are electrically connected with a cable via a connector is widely known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-154076

When a board-side connector is mounted on an electronic board, terminals of the board-side connector are generally provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the electronic board. When a cable-side connector is inserted into such a board-side connector obliquely with respect to a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the electronic board, the terminals of the board-side connector and the cable-side connector interfere. In this case, a force in an unintended direction may be applied to the terminals of the board-side connector, causing the terminals to deform, and there is a possibility that the electrical connection between the board-side connector and the cable-side connector may not be established properly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the current situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent a cable-side connector from being inserted obliquely into a board-side connector.

A typical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a substrate fixed to a frame on the back side of the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of substrates including at least first to fourth substrate-side connectors. a board-side connector, each of the plurality of board-side connectors is connected to a cable-side connector of a corresponding cable, and each of the plurality of board-side connectors is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the board. The first board-side connector has a plurality of terminals extending in the direction and arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction, and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals, and the first board-side connector is fixed to the frame body. In the substrate, a longitudinal direction of the first board-side connector and a direction in which the first side extends are formed around a first side that forms an end of the mounting surface and extends in the horizontal direction. The second board-side connector is mounted at a position adjacent to the first board-side connector in the direction in which the first side of the mounting surface extends , along the longitudinal direction of the second board-side connector. The third board-side connector is mounted so that the direction in which the first side extends is aligned with the direction in which the first side extends, and the third board-side connector is mounted so that the end of the mounting surface of the board is fixed to the frame. The third board-side connector is formed around a second side extending in the vertical direction so that the longitudinal direction of the third board-side connector is aligned with the direction in which the second side extends, and the fourth board-side connector is mounted around a second side that extends in the vertical direction. , so that the longitudinal direction of the fourth board-side connector and the direction in which the second side extends are aligned at a position adjacent to the third board-side connector in the direction in which the second side of the mounting surface extends. The number of terminals of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is the same as the number of terminals of each of the third board - side connector and the fourth board-side connector. A board-side connector having terminals with a predetermined number of poles or more among the plurality of board-side connectors, which is larger than the number of terminals, has a longitudinal direction parallel to the first side or the first side. Among the plurality of board-side connectors, a board-side connector having terminals less than the predetermined number of poles is arranged so as to be aligned with the extending third side, and its longitudinal direction is aligned with the second side or the second side. The number of terminals of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of poles, and The number of terminals of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is less than the predetermined number of contacts, and each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector A part of the wall opposite to the first side of the housing is cut out, and the second side of the housing of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is cut out. A part of the wall facing the is cut out.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the cable-side connector from being inserted obliquely into the board-side connector in the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plug connector and a receptacle connector. They are a front view, a side view, a back view, and a top view of a receptacle connector. They are a front view, a side view, a rear view, and a bottom view of the plug connector. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how a plug connector is inserted into a receptacle connector. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how a plug connector is inserted into a receptacle connector. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a regulation plate. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a regulating plate and an electrolytic capacitor. 2 is a table showing a layout diagram and specifications of a receptacle connector.

(First embodiment)
<Image forming device>
Hereinafter, first, the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings together with the operation during image formation. It should be noted that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the component parts described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only thereto, unless otherwise specified.

The image forming apparatus A according to the present embodiment is an intermediate tandem system in which toner of four colors of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt, and then the image is transferred to a sheet to form an image. This is an image forming apparatus. In the following explanation, the members that use toner of each of the above colors are given subscripts Y, M, C, and K, but the structure and operation of each member are different, except for the difference in the color of toner used. Since they are substantially the same, subscripts are omitted as appropriate unless distinction is required.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus A. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus A includes an image forming section that transfers a toner image onto a sheet S to form an image. The image forming section includes photosensitive drums 1 (1Y, 1M, 1C, 1K), charging rollers 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K), and developing devices 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K). It also includes primary transfer rollers 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), a laser scanner unit 98, an intermediate transfer belt 6, a secondary transfer roller 16, a secondary transfer opposing roller 12, a drive roller 17, and the like.

Further, on the front side (front side) of the image forming apparatus A, an operation section 9 is provided that allows settings related to image formation to be made by operation. The operation unit 9 includes a display unit (display screen) for displaying information, a numeric keypad for inputting numerical values, a clear key for canceling input using the numeric keypad, a start key for starting image formation, and a start key for stopping image formation. It has a stop key etc. The image forming apparatus A may not be provided with a numeric keypad, a clear key, a start key, and a stop key as hard keys, and may instead use an operation section that displays these keys as soft keys on a touch panel display section. By operating the numeric keys and inputting numerical values, the user can perform settings related to image formation, such as setting the type of sheet S, the output size of the image, and the number of sheets to be formed. Here, the front side of the image forming apparatus A is the side on which a user usually stands in order to operate the operation unit 9. In the image forming apparatus A, the back side is, for example, the side opposite to the front side across the metal or resin frame that supports the image forming section. The left side of the image forming apparatus A is the left side when viewed from the front, and the right side is the right side when viewed from the front.

Further, an image reading section 8 is provided at the top of the image forming apparatus A to read an image of a document. The image reading section 8 includes a reader 8a and an AFD 8b. The reader 8a optically reads an image of a document placed on a reading surface (not shown) made of a glass plate and converts it into image data. The ADF 8b automatically transports the originals stacked on the original tray and reads the images. The ADF 8b is rotatably supported, and by rotating the ADF 8b and opening it upward, the reading surface of the reader 8a can be accessed.

Next, an image forming operation by the image forming apparatus A will be explained. When forming an image, an image forming job signal is first input to a control section (not shown). As a result, the feeding roller 11 and the conveying roller 85 rotate, and the sheets S stacked and stored in the sheet cassette 10 are sent out to the registration roller 86. Next, the sheet S is sent by the registration roller 86 at a predetermined timing to a secondary transfer section formed by the secondary transfer roller 16 and the secondary transfer opposing roller 12.

On the other hand, in the image forming section, the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is first charged by the charging roller 2Y. Thereafter, the laser scanner unit 98 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y with laser light in response to a drive signal generated based on the image of the document read by the image reading section 8, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y. Form. Thereafter, yellow toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y by the developing device 3Y, thereby forming a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1Y is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 6 by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer roller 5Y.

By a similar process, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are also formed on the photosensitive drums 1M, 1C, and 1K. Then, by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer rollers 5M, 5C, and 5K, these toner images are transferred in a superimposed manner onto the yellow toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6. As a result, a full-color toner image is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 6 in accordance with the image signal.

Thereafter, the intermediate transfer belt 6 receives driving force from the drive roller 17 and rotates, thereby sending the full-color toner image to the secondary transfer section. Then, by applying a secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer roller 16 in the secondary transfer portion, the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 6 is transferred onto the sheet S.

Next, the sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to heating and pressure processing in the fixing device 15, whereby the toner image on the sheet S is fixed to the sheet S. Thereafter, the sheet S with the toner image fixed thereon is discharged to the discharge section 7 by the discharge roller 13.

<Control board>
Next, the control board mounted on the image forming apparatus A will be explained.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus A viewed from the back side. Note that in FIG. 2, in order to show the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus A, the exterior covers on the back and left side of the image forming apparatus A are omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear plate 100, which is the frame of the image forming apparatus A, is provided with stays 101, 102, 103, and 104 for reinforcing the rear plate 100. The rear plate 100 and the stays 101 to 104 are frames on the back side of the image forming apparatus A, which are arranged on the back side of the image forming apparatus A rather than the image forming section such as the photosensitive drum 1.

A metal electrical equipment box 700 (accommodating member) is fixed to the stays 101 and 102 with screws 90. Note that in FIG. 2, the metal lid of the electrical equipment box 700 is omitted in order to show the internal configuration of the electrical equipment box 700. A first board 400 (first board) is housed inside the electrical equipment box 700. The first board 400 is fixed to the electrical equipment box 700 with screws 91. That is, the first substrate 400 is fixed to the frame on the back side of the image forming apparatus A via the electrical box 700, and in order to suppress the influence of external noise on the image processing described below as much as possible. Further, in order to shield as much as possible radiation noise that may be radiated to the outside due to the image processing described below, etc., it is housed in a metal electrical equipment box 700 and shielded. The electrical equipment box 700 of this embodiment is a box that is formed by bending a single sheet metal (steel plate). The side wall of the first board 400 is bent up from the mounting surface on which the first board 400 is mounted by screws 91 . A lid (cover member) that covers the first board 400 may be attached to the electrical equipment box 700.

The first board 400 is a controller board provided in the image forming apparatus A in order to control the power supply board 420 and communicate with external devices such as an image data processing (image processing) PC, tablet, and smartphone. . Image processing is performed on the first substrate 400 to convert the image of the document read by the image reading section 8 into image data. Further, image processing is performed on the first substrate 400 to generate image data based on an image input from an external device. Image processing includes processing to convert RGB to YMCK, density correction, magnification correction, color shift correction, and the like. Further, in the first substrate 400, the image data is converted into the drive signal described above. In order to perform the above functions, many electronic components including a controller IC, an electrolytic capacitor 600, and an ASIC are mounted on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. Further, a total of six receptacle connectors 300 to 305 (board side connectors) are mounted on the first board 400.

Further, a second board 410 (second board) is fixed to the stays 103 and 104 located below the electrical equipment box 700 with screws 92. The second substrate 410 is an engine substrate provided in the image forming apparatus A to control a motor (not shown) that drives a roller for conveying the sheet S and other drive systems. Other drive targets in the drive system include the charging roller 2 (2Y, 2M, 2C, 2K), the developing roller included in the developing device 3 (3Y, 3M, 3C, 3K), and the primary transfer roller 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), etc. Further, other objects to be driven in the drive system include a drive motor that rotates a rotating polygon mirror included in the laser scanner unit 98, the intermediate transfer belt 6, the secondary transfer roller 16, the secondary transfer opposing roller 12, and the like. In order to perform the above functions, many electronic components including a controller IC and an ASIC are mounted on the mounting surface 410a of the second board 410. Further, a receptacle connector 306 (board side connector) is mounted on the mounting surface 410a of the second board 410.

The first board 400 and the second board 410 are electrically connected by a cable 230, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other. An electrical signal is transmitted from the first substrate 400 to the second substrate 410 via the cable 230 to inform the timing of starting or stopping the drive system described above. The cable 230 is routed from the first board 400 to the second board 410 through an opening 700a1 formed in the wall 700a of the electrical box 700. A plug connector 200 (cable side connector) is attached to one end of the cable 230, which is connected to a receptacle connector 300 mounted on the first board 400. A plug connector 203 (cable side connector) is attached to the other end of the cable 230, which is connected to a receptacle connector 306 mounted on the second board 410.

Further, in the image forming apparatus A, a power supply board 420 is provided on the front side of the rear side plate 100. The power supply board 420 is provided in the image forming apparatus A to supply power to each unit of the image forming apparatus A (image forming section, fixing device, drive source for a roller for conveying a sheet, image reading section). There is. The first board 400 and the power supply board 420 are electrically connected by cables 221 and 222. Power for operating the first board 400 is transmitted from the power supply board 420 to the first board 400 via the cable 221. A power control signal is transmitted from the first board 400 to the power board 420 via the cable 222. The cables 221 and 222 are routed from the first board 400 to the power supply board 420 through an opening 700a1 formed in the electrical box 700 and an opening 100a formed in the rear plate 100. Furthermore, plug connectors 201 and 202 are attached to one end portions of the cables 221 and 222, respectively, to be connected to receptacle connectors 301 and 302 mounted on the first board 400. A plug connector 204 connected to a receptacle connector 307 mounted on a power supply board 420 is attached to the other ends of the cables 221 and 222.

Note that the receptacle connectors 303 to 305 mounted on the first board 400 are also connected to plug connectors (not shown) attached to the ends of cables (not shown), similarly to the receptacle connectors 300 to 302, etc. be done. The receptacle connector 303 is a connector to which a cable for communicating with the image reading section 8 and the operation section 9 is connected. The receptacle connector 304 is optionally installed in the image forming apparatus A, and is connected to a cable for communicating with a FAX unit for transmitting and receiving FAX. The receptacle connector 305 is a connector to which a cable for communicating with Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC, which is optionally installed in the image forming apparatus A, is connected. In this way, the first board 400 and the other units described above are electrically connected via the cable.

<Plug connector and receptacle connector>
Next, the configurations of the plug connector and receptacle connector will be explained. The plug connectors 200 to 204 are of the same type, and have the same configuration other than the number of terminal poles and each dimension. Further, the receptacle connectors 300 to 307 are the same type of connectors, and have the same configuration other than the number of terminal poles and each dimension. Therefore, the configurations of the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300 will be explained below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300. 4 is a diagram showing the receptacle connector 300, in which FIG. 4(a) is a front view, FIG. 4(b) is a side view, FIG. 4(c) is a rear view, and FIG. 4(d) is a top view. be. 5 is a diagram showing the plug connector 200, in which FIG. 5(a) is a front view, FIG. 5(b) is a side view, FIG. 5(c) is a rear view, and FIG. 5(d) is a bottom view. .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the receptacle connector 300 has pin terminals 300b that are electrical contact portions. The pin terminals 300b are composed of 17 pins arranged parallel to each other at regular intervals and extending in the direction of arrow Z perpendicular to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400. The length of each pin terminal 300b in the direction of arrow Z is the same. Further, one end portion 300b1 of the pin terminal 300b is bent along the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, and is soldered to a conductor pattern (land pattern), not shown, formed on the first substrate 400.

Further, the receptacle connector 300 has a lock plate 300c extending in the direction of arrow Z. An engagement hole 300c1 is formed in the lock plate 300c and is recessed in the direction of the arrow X, which is perpendicular to the direction of the arrow Y and the direction of the arrow Z, which are the parallel directions of the pin terminals 300b.

These pin terminals 300b and lock plate 300c are housed in a housing 300a. The housing 300a has a wall 300a1 placed on one side of the pin terminal 300b in the direction of arrow X, and a wall 300a2 placed on the other side. Furthermore, the housing 300a has a wall 300a3 placed on one side of the pin terminal 300b in the direction of arrow Y, and a wall 300a4 placed on the other side.

The length of the portion of the wall 300a1 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. The length of a part of the wall 300a2 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is shorter than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. Further, a portion of the wall 300a2 facing the pin terminal 300b is cut out. The length of the portions of the walls 300a3 and 300a4 facing the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction.

Note that in the direction of arrow Z, the walls 300a2, 300a3, and 300a4 have portions that are shorter than the length of the wall 300a1 and longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b. When the plug connector 200 is connected to the receptacle connector 300, a portion of the housing 200a of the plug connector 200 is exposed from these portions. A maintenance worker can easily pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 by grasping this exposed portion of the plug connector 200.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the housing 200a of the plug connector 200 has a cable storage hole 200a3 formed therein. A terminal 200d having a claw portion 200d1 (FIG. 6) is provided near the cable storage hole 200a3. The assembly worker stores the cable 230 (FIG. 6) in the cable storage hole 200a3, and uses a tool to bite the claw portion 200d1 of the terminal 200d into the insulation coating of the stored cable 230. As a result, the claw portion 200d1 of the terminal 200d comes into contact with the conductive wire inside the insulation coating of the cable 230, and the two are electrically connected.

Further, a through hole 200a1 is formed in the bottom surface of the casing 200a of the plug connector 200, which penetrates the bottom surface of the casing 200a in the direction of arrow Z. When the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 enters the through hole 200a1. As a result, the plug connector 200 is guided in movement in the direction of arrow Z by the pin terminal 300b. When the plug connector 200 is inserted, the pin terminal 300b and the terminal 200d come into contact, and the receptacle connector 300 and the plug connector 200 are electrically connected.

Further, on the outer surface of the housing 200a of the plug connector 200, a convex portion 200a2 (engaging portion) that protrudes in the direction of arrow X is formed. The convex portion 200a2 engages with an engagement hole 300c1 (engaged portion) formed in the lock plate 300c of the receptacle connector 300. This restricts the movement of the plug connector 200 connected to the receptacle connector 300 in the direction of arrow Z, suppresses the displacement of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300, and stabilizes the electrical connection between the two. Further, since a click feeling occurs when the convex portion 200a2 engages with the engagement hole 300c1, the operator can confirm that the plug connector 200 has been inserted.

<Issues when inserting and removing plug connectors>
Next, problems when inserting and removing the plug connector 200 into and from the receptacle connector 300 will be explained.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of how the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300 when viewed from the direction of arrow Y. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of how the plug connector 200 is inserted into the receptacle connector 300 when viewed from the direction of arrow X. Here, FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a) show how the plug connector 200 is inserted from the direction of arrow Z. FIG. 6(b) shows how the plug connector 200 is inserted from a direction inclined by 25 degrees toward the arrow X direction with respect to the arrow Z direction. FIG. 7B shows how the plug connector 200 is inserted from a direction inclined by 25 degrees in the direction of arrow Y with respect to the direction of arrow Z.

As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a), when the plug connector 200 is inserted from the direction of arrow Z, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is inserted from the direction in which it extends, so that the plug connector 200 penetrates. The inner wall of the hole 200a1 and the pin terminal 300b do not interfere. Therefore, no force is applied from the plug connector 200 to the pin terminal 300b in an unintended direction, and the pin terminal 300b is not deformed. Therefore, the pin terminal 300b and the terminal 200d are in stable contact, and the electrical connection between the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300 is stably performed.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), when the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the direction of arrow X, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 interferes with the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the plug connector 200 is inserted obliquely from the direction of arrow Y, the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300 interferes with the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200. . If the plug connector 200 is forcibly inserted in this state, a force is applied from the plug connector 200 to the pin terminal 300b in an unintended direction, causing the pin terminal 300b to deform. In this case, there is a possibility that the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 and the terminals 200d of the plug connector 200 may not be in good contact with each other, and the electrical connection between them may not be established properly. Note that when the plug connector 200 is pulled out obliquely from the receptacle connector 300, there is a possibility that the pin terminal 300b may be deformed as well.

Further, if the plug connector 200 is inserted with the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 interfering with the inner wall of the through hole 200a1 of the plug connector 200, the plug connector 200 is scraped by the pin terminals 300b. In this case, the scraped powder 800 (FIG. 6(b)) gets between the terminal 200d of the plug connector 200 and the pin terminal 300b of the receptacle connector 300, and the terminal 200d and the pin terminal 300b do not make good contact, causing the electrical current between them. There is a risk that the connection will not be made properly.

That is, in order to stabilize the electrical connection between the plug connector 200 and the receptacle connector 300, it is desirable that the plug connector 200 be inserted and removed from the direction of arrow Z, rather than being inserted and removed diagonally. As described above, in the case 300a of the receptacle connector 300, the length of the wall 300a1 in the arrow Z direction is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction, and the length of a part of the wall 300a2 in the arrow Z direction is longer than the pin terminal 300b. It is configured to be shorter than the length in the arrow Z direction. Therefore, when the plug connector 200 is inserted and removed obliquely from the side in the direction of the arrow X, it is particularly likely to be inserted and removed from the side where the wall 300a2 is arranged with respect to the pin terminal 300b.

<Regulation member>
The image forming apparatus A includes a regulating member that regulates the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300. The configuration of the regulating member will be described below.

First, a description will be given of the configuration of the regulating member that prevents the plug connector 200 from being inserted diagonally from the direction of the arrow X. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a regulating plate 700a2 as a regulating member. Here, the regulation plate 700a2 is a part of the side wall 700a of the electrical equipment box 700 shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the electrical equipment box 700 provided as a noise countermeasure is used as a regulating member.

As shown in FIG. 8, the regulation plate 700a2 is arranged at a position adjacent to the wall 300a2 of the casing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 in the direction of the arrow X. The regulating plate 700a2 is configured such that its length in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 (arrow Z direction) is longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the same direction.

Here, in the direction of arrow Z, the length of the pin terminal 300b is L1, and the length of the regulating plate 700a2 is L2. Here, the length L1 of the pin terminal 300b means the length of the portion of the pin terminal 300b that extends in the direction of arrow Z and comes into contact with the terminal 200d of the plug connector 200. Further, in the arrow X direction, the distance between the portion of the pin terminal 300b extending in the arrow Z direction and the regulating plate 700a2 is defined as L3. Further, when the plug connector 200 is obliquely inserted into the receptacle connector 300 from the direction of the arrow X, the limit angle at which it is guaranteed that the electrical connection between the two is properly established is defined as θ1. At this time, L1, L2, L3, and θ1 are configured to satisfy the following condition 1.

(Condition 1)
L3≦(L2-L1)/tan(90-θ1)°

With this configuration, when the operator attempts to insert the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300 from a direction oblique to the limit angle θ1, the regulation plate 700a2 comes into contact with the plug connector 200, thereby inhibiting the insertion. Further, when the operator attempts to pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 in a direction diagonal to the limit angle θ1, the regulation plate 700a2 comes into contact with the plug connector 200, thereby inhibiting the pulling out. In other words, the insertion/extraction angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 is regulated within a normal range by the regulation plate 700a2. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

Here, in this embodiment, the limit angle θ1 when inserting the plug connector 200 is assumed to be 25°, and more preferably 15°. Furthermore, when mounting the receptacle connector 300, the length L1 of the pin terminal 300b is determined in advance according to specifications. Note that the length of the pin terminal 300b is often 1 mm≦L1≦10 mm. Further, the height of the wall 700a of the electrical box 700 is determined in advance, and considering the overall size of the image forming apparatus A, the approximate length is 10 mm≦L2≦50 mm. In this case, when mounting the receptacle connector 300 or when attaching the first substrate 400 on which the receptacle connector 300 is mounted to the image forming apparatus A, the distance L3 is set so as to satisfy the following condition 2.

(Condition 2)
L3≦(L2-L1)/tan65°

Further, when the size of the electrical equipment box 700 can be selected, the length L2 of the regulating plate 700a2 can be set arbitrarily. Further, if the distance L3 is too long, it is difficult to regulate the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 even if the length L2 of the regulating plate 700a2 is long, and it is desirable that 5 mm≦L3≦25 mm. In this case, the length L2 of the regulating plate 700a2 is set to satisfy the following condition 3.

(Condition 3)
L2≧L3tan65°+L1

In this way, L1, L2, and L3 are set to satisfy the conditions 2 and 3 above. Thereby, even if the plug connector 200 is inserted obliquely from the X direction side, the insertion angle can be suppressed to 25° or less, which is the limit angle θ1. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

In addition, in this embodiment, all the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 and the regulation plate 700a2 are configured to overlap when viewed from the direction of the arrow X. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above effects can be obtained as long as the regulation plate 700a2 overlaps at least a portion of the pin terminal 300b when viewed from the direction of the arrow X.

Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the regulating member that prevents the plug connector 200 from being inserted diagonally from the side in the direction of arrow Y. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a regulating plate 700a3 as a regulating member and an electrolytic capacitor 600. Here, the regulation plate 700a3 is a part of the side wall 700a of the electrical equipment box 700 shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment, the electrical equipment box 700 provided as a noise countermeasure and the electronic components mounted on the first board 400 are used as regulating members.

As shown in FIG. 9, the regulation plate 700a3 is arranged at a position adjacent to the wall 300a3 of the casing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 in the direction of the arrow Y. The length of the regulating plate 700a3 in the arrow Z direction is configured to be longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction. Electrolytic capacitor 600 is arranged at a position adjacent to wall 300a4 of casing 300a of receptacle connector 300 in the direction of arrow Y. The length of the electrolytic capacitor 600 in the arrow Z direction is configured to be longer than the length of the pin terminal 300b in the arrow Z direction.

Here, in the arrow Z direction, the length of the wall 300a3 of the housing 300a of the receptacle connector 300 is K1, the length of the wall 300a4 is K2, the length of the regulating plate 700a3 is K3, and the length of the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K4. . The lengths K1 and K2 of the walls 300a3 and 300a4 of the housing 300a herein refer to the lengths of the longest portions of the walls 300a3 and 300a4 in the direction of arrow Z. Further, in the direction of arrow Y, the distance between the wall 300a3 of the casing 300a and the regulating plate 700a3 is K5, and the distance between the wall 300a4 of the casing 300a and the electrolytic capacitor 600 is K6. Further, regarding the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300, when the plug connector 200 is inserted obliquely from the direction of arrow Y, the limit angle of inclination that guarantees normal electrical connection is defined as the limit angle θ2. At this time, K1 to K6 and θ2 are configured to satisfy the following conditions 4 and 5.

(Condition 4)
K5≦(K3-K1)/tan(90-θ2)°

(Condition 5)
K6≦(K4-K2)/tan(90-θ2)°

With this configuration, when the operator attempts to insert the plug connector 200 into the receptacle connector 300 from a direction diagonal to the limit angle θ2, the regulation plate 700a3 or the electrolytic capacitor 600 comes into contact with the plug connector 200 and prevents insertion. be done. Further, when the operator attempts to pull out the plug connector 200 from the receptacle connector 300 in a direction oblique to the limit angle θ2, the restriction plate 700a2 or the electrolytic capacitor 600 comes into contact with the plug connector 200, and the pulling out is inhibited. In other words, the insertion/extraction angle of the plug connector 200 with respect to the receptacle connector 300 is regulated within a normal range by the regulating plate 700a2 or the electrolytic capacitor 600. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

Here, in this embodiment, the limit angle θ2 when inserting the plug connector 200 is assumed to be 25°, and more preferably 15°. Furthermore, when mounting the receptacle connector 300, the length K1 of the wall 300a3 of the housing 300a and the length K2 of the wall 300a4 are determined in advance according to specifications. Note that the length of the wall 300a3 and the length of the wall 300a4 are often 4 mm≦K1≦20 mm and 4 mm≦K2≦20 mm. Further, the height of the wall 700a of the electrical equipment box 700 is determined in advance, and considering the overall size of the image forming apparatus A, the length is approximately 10 mm≦K3≦50 mm. Further, the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 is determined in advance according to the specifications, and the standard is 10 mm≦K4≦25 mm. In this case, when mounting the receptacle connector 300 or when attaching the first substrate 400 on which the receptacle connector 300 is mounted to the image forming apparatus A, the distances K5 and K6 are set so as to satisfy the following conditions 6 and 7. .

(Condition 6)
K5≦(K3-K1)/tan65°

(Condition 7)
K6≦(K4-K2)/tan65°

Furthermore, when the size of the electrical equipment box 700 can be selected, the length K3 of the regulating plate 700a3 can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, when the specifications of the electrolytic capacitor 600 can be selected, the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 can be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, if the distances K5 and K6 are too long, it is difficult to regulate the insertion angle of the plug connector 200 even if the length K3 of the regulating plate 700a3 and the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 are long, such as 1 mm≦K5≦25 mm, 1 mm≦ It is desirable that K6≦15 mm. The length K3 of the regulating plate 700a3 and the length K4 of the electrolytic capacitor 600 are set so as to satisfy the following conditions 8 and 9.

(Condition 8)
K3≧K5tan65°+K1

(Condition 9)
K4≧K6tan65°+K2

In this way, K1 to K6 are set to satisfy conditions 8 and 9 above. Thereby, even if the plug connector 200 is inserted diagonally from the Y direction side, the insertion angle can be suppressed to 25 degrees or less, which is the limit angle θ2. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals 300b of the receptacle connector 300 is suppressed, and the electrical connection between the two can be stabilized.

In addition, in this embodiment, all parts of the wall 300a3 of the receptacle connector 300 and the regulation plate 700a3 are configured to overlap when viewed from the direction of the arrow Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above effects can be obtained as long as the regulation plate 700a3 overlaps at least a portion of the wall 300a3 when viewed from the direction of the arrow X. Further, the above effect can be obtained if the electrolytic capacitor 600 overlaps at least a portion of the wall 300a4 when viewed from the direction of the arrow Y.

Further, in this embodiment, although the electrolytic capacitor 600 mounted on a part of the wall of the electrical equipment box 700 or the first substrate 400 is used as a regulating member, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of the regulating plate 700a2, the regulating plate 700a3, and the electrolytic capacitor 600, other electronic components mounted on the first substrate 400 may be used as regulating members. Further, instead of the regulating plate 700a2, the regulating plate 700a3, and the electrolytic capacitor 600, another member may be provided as a regulating member on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 or in the vicinity of the first substrate 400. As an example of the regulating member provided on the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400, a wire saddle that restrains the cable 230 can be considered. Even with such a configuration, effects similar to those described above can be obtained.

<Receptacle connector arrangement>
Next, the arrangement of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 will be explained.

FIG. 10(a) is a layout diagram of receptacle connectors 300 to 305. Here, FIG. 10(a) is a front view of the first board 400 fixed to the stays 101 and 102, which are the frame bodies of the image forming apparatus A, via the electrical box 700. The direction indicates the vertical direction, and the left-right direction indicates the horizontal direction. FIG. 10(b) is a table showing the length in the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305, the number of poles of the pin terminal 300b, and the number of engagement holes 300c1. Here, the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 is the parallel direction of these pin terminals.

As shown in FIG. 10, the mounting surface 400a of the first substrate 400 has a side 400a1 (first side) that forms an end of the mounting surface 400a and extends in the horizontal direction, and a side 400a1 that is opposite to the side 400a1. It has a side 400a2 (third side) extending in parallel. The mounting surface 400a also includes a side 400a3 (second side) that forms an end of the mounting surface 400a and extends in the vertical direction, and a side 400a4 (fourth side) that faces the side 400a3 and extends parallel to the side 400a1. has.

Here, when a receptacle connector with a large number of pin terminals and a long longitudinal length is arranged on the mounting surface 400a so that its longitudinal direction and vertical direction are aligned, the operator must ensure that the longitudinal direction of the plug connector is Grasp the plug connector so that it is aligned with the connector and insert it. When the plug connector is held in this manner, the visibility of both ends of the receptacle connector in the longitudinal direction becomes poor, and the wrist orientation makes it difficult to maintain the insertion angle of the plug connector with respect to the receptacle connector. Therefore, the plug connector is easily inserted into the receptacle connector obliquely with respect to the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400. Particularly in the case of a receptacle connector that is long in the longitudinal direction and has a plurality of engagement holes, it is conceivable that an operator sequentially fits the protrusions of the plug connector into the engagement holes one by one. Therefore, the plug connector is easily inserted obliquely with respect to the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the receptacle connectors 300, 303, and 305 having pin terminals with 15 or more poles are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is aligned with the horizontal direction in which the sides 400a1 and 400a2 extend. Specifically, the receptacle connector 300 (first board-side connector) is mounted around the side 400a1 on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a1 extends are aligned. Ru. Further, the receptacle connector 303 (second board side connector) is mounted on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400 at a position adjacent to the receptacle connector 300 in the direction in which the side 400a1 extends, and the longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a1 extends are arranged so that they line up. Further, the receptacle connector 305 (fifth board-side connector) is mounted around the side 400a2 on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a2 extends are aligned. These receptacle connectors 300, 303, and 305 are receptacle connectors with a longitudinal length of 20 mm or more, and are also plug connectors having a plurality of engagement holes. In this embodiment, although the receptacle connectors 300, 303, 305 are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 300, 303, 305 and the horizontal direction in which the sides 400a1, 400a2 extend are parallel to each other, they may be misaligned within the tolerance range. It's okay.

Further, receptacle connectors 301, 302, and 304 having pin terminals with a number of poles of 2 or more but less than 15 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is aligned with the vertical direction in which the sides 400a3 and 400a4 extend. Specifically, the receptacle connector 301 (third board-side connector) is mounted around the side 400a3 on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a3 extends are aligned. Ru. Further, the receptacle connector 302 (fourth board-side connector) is mounted on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400 at a position adjacent to the receptacle connector 301 in the direction in which the side 400a3 extends, and the longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a3 extends are arranged so that they line up. Further, the receptacle connector 304 (sixth board-side connector) is mounted around the side 400a4 on the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400, and is arranged so that its longitudinal direction and the direction in which the side 400a4 extends are aligned. These receptacle connectors 301, 302, and 304 are receptacle connectors with a longitudinal length of less than 20 mm, and are also plug connectors having one engagement hole. In this embodiment, although the receptacle connectors 301, 302, 304 are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the receptacle connectors 301, 302, 304 is parallel to the vertical direction in which the sides 400a3, 400a4 extend, they may be misaligned within the tolerance range. You can.

By arranging the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the plug connector from being inserted into the receptacle connector obliquely with respect to the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 400a of the first board 400. Therefore, deformation of the pin terminals of the receptacle connectors 300 to 305 and the terminals of the plug connector inserted therein is suppressed, and the electrical connection between them can be stabilized.

200...Plug connector (cable side connector)
230...Cable 300...Receptacle connector (first board side connector)
300b...Pin terminal 301...Receptacle connector (third board side connector)
302...Receptacle connector (fourth board side connector)
303...Receptacle connector (second board side connector)
304...Receptacle connector (sixth board side connector)
305...Receptacle connector (fifth board side connector)
400...First board 400a...Mounting surface A...Image forming device

Claims (7)

a substrate fixed to a frame on the back side of the image forming apparatus;
a plurality of board-side connectors including at least first to fourth board-side connectors,
A cable side connector of a corresponding cable is connected to each of the plurality of board side connectors,
Each of the plurality of board-side connectors includes a plurality of terminals that extend in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the board and are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction, and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals. ,
The first board-side connector is arranged such that the first board-side connector forms the end of the mounting surface of the board fixed to the frame and extends around a first side extending in the horizontal direction . mounted so that the longitudinal direction of the board-side connector and the direction in which the first side extends,
The second board-side connector is located at a position adjacent to the first board-side connector in the direction in which the first side of the mounting surface extends. It is implemented so that the direction in which the sides extend is aligned,
The third board-side connector is arranged such that the third board-side connector forms an end of the mounting surface of the board and extends around a second side extending in the vertical direction in the board fixed to the frame . mounted so that the longitudinal direction of the board-side connector and the direction in which the second side extends are aligned,
The fourth board-side connector is located at a position adjacent to the third board-side connector in the direction in which the second side of the mounting surface extends. It is implemented so that the direction in which the sides extend is aligned,
The number of poles of a plurality of terminals of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is the number of poles of a plurality of terminals of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector. more than
Among the plurality of board-side connectors, a board-side connector having terminals with a predetermined number of poles or more is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the first side or a third side extending parallel to the first side. placed in
Among the plurality of board-side connectors, a board-side connector having terminals less than the predetermined number of poles has its longitudinal direction aligned with the second side or a fourth side extending parallel to the second side. arranged like this,
The number of poles of each terminal of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of poles,
The number of terminals of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is less than the predetermined number of poles,
A portion of the wall opposite to the first side of the housing of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is cut out,
A portion of the wall facing the second side of the housing of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is cut out,
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The plurality of board-side connectors include a fifth board-side connector,
The fifth board-side connector is arranged around the third side of the board fixed to the frame in the longitudinal direction of the fifth board-side connector and in the direction in which the third side extends. It is implemented so that the
The number of poles of the plurality of terminals of the fifth board-side connector is greater than the number of poles of the plurality of terminals of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector,
The number of poles of the plurality of terminals of the fifth board-side connector is greater than or equal to the predetermined number,
A portion of the wall of the fifth board-side connector housing facing the third side is cut out;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of board-side connectors include a sixth board-side connector,
The sixth board-side connector is arranged around the fourth side of the board fixed to the frame in the longitudinal direction of the sixth board-side connector and in the direction in which the fourth side extends. It is implemented so that the
The number of poles of the plurality of terminals of the sixth board-side connector is smaller than the number of poles of the plurality of terminals of the fifth board-side connector,
The number of poles of the plurality of terminals of the sixth board-side connector is less than the predetermined number,
A portion of the wall of the sixth board-side connector housing facing the fourth side is cut out ;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that : a substrate fixed to a frame on the back side of the image forming apparatus;
a plurality of board-side connectors including at least first to fourth board-side connectors,
A cable side connector of a corresponding cable is connected to each of the plurality of board side connectors,
Each of the plurality of board-side connectors includes a plurality of terminals that extend in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the board and are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction, and a housing that accommodates the plurality of terminals. ,
The first board-side connector is arranged such that the first board-side connector forms the end of the mounting surface of the board fixed to the frame and extends around a first side extending in the horizontal direction . mounted so that the longitudinal direction of the board-side connector and the direction in which the first side extends,
The second board-side connector is located at a position adjacent to the first board-side connector in the direction in which the first side of the mounting surface extends. It is implemented so that the direction in which the sides extend is aligned,
The third board-side connector is arranged such that the third board-side connector forms an end of the mounting surface of the board and extends around a second side extending in the vertical direction in the board fixed to the frame . mounted so that the longitudinal direction of the board-side connector and the direction in which the second side extends are aligned,
The fourth board-side connector is located at a position adjacent to the third board-side connector in the direction in which the second side of the mounting surface extends. It is implemented so that the direction in which the sides extend is aligned,
The length in the longitudinal direction of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is longer than the length in the longitudinal direction of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector. ,
Among the plurality of board-side connectors, the board-side connector whose length in the longitudinal direction is a predetermined length or more has a length in the first side or a third side extending parallel to the first side. are arranged so that they are aligned with the sides of
Among the plurality of board-side connectors, the board-side connector whose length in the longitudinal direction is less than a predetermined length has a length in the second side or a fourth side extending parallel to the second side. are arranged so that they are aligned with the sides of
The length in the longitudinal direction of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is equal to or more than the predetermined length,
The length in the longitudinal direction of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is less than the predetermined length,
A portion of the wall opposite to the first side of the housing of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector is cut out,
A portion of the wall facing the second side of the housing of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector is cut out,
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The plurality of board-side connectors include a fifth board-side connector,
The fifth board-side connector is arranged around the third side of the board fixed to the frame in the longitudinal direction of the fifth board-side connector and in the direction in which the third side extends. It is implemented so that the
The length in the longitudinal direction of the fifth board-side connector is longer than the length in the longitudinal direction of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector,
The length in the longitudinal direction of the fifth board-side connector is equal to or more than the predetermined length,
A portion of the wall of the fifth board-side connector housing facing the third side is cut out;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of board-side connectors include a sixth board-side connector,
The sixth board-side connector is mounted around the fourth side of the board fixed to the frame,
The length in the longitudinal direction of the sixth board-side connector is shorter than the length in the longitudinal direction of the fifth board-side connector,
The length in the longitudinal direction of the sixth board-side connector is less than the predetermined length,
A portion of the wall of the sixth board-side connector housing facing the fourth side is cut out;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: A wall opposite to a wall opposite to the first side of the housing of each of the first board-side connector and the second board-side connector includes an engaged portion that engages with the cable-side connector. ,
A wall opposite to a wall opposite to the second side of the housing of each of the third board-side connector and the fourth board-side connector includes an engaged portion that engages with the cable-side connector. ,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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