Housing and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10606209-B2
Application number	US-201916244265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A housing includes a body portion, including an opening, and a cover portion that covers the opening. The cover portion includes a first cover and a second cover that is perpendicular to the first cover. The first cover includes a cover body that is platy. A projection projects from the cover body. A first attachment is mounted on the projection and attaches the first cover to the body portion. A second attachment is disposed on the first attachment and attaches the second cover to the first cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A housing comprising:
a main body including an opening; and
a cover portion to cover the opening,
the cover portion including:
a first cover; and
a second cover, perpendicular to the first cover,
the first cover including:
a cover body that is plate-like; and
a projection, projecting from the cover body, including a first attachment mounted on the projection, to attach the first cover to the main body, and including an engaging hole, disposed in the projection, to receive a second attachment and to attach the second cover to the first cover upon receipt of the second attachment.

2. The housing according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projection includes a resilient member mounting the first attachment.

3. The housing according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first cover further includes another projection including another resilient member disposed opposite the resilient member, and
wherein the main body is sandwiched between the resilient member and the another resilient member.

4. The housing according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first attachment is mounted on the resilient member.

5. The housing according to claim 4 ,
wherein the resilient member includes an arm.

6. The housing according to claim 5 ,
wherein the arm includes a free end mounting the first attachment, to engage the main body.

7. The housing according to claim 6 ,
wherein the second attachment includes an engaging hole penetrating through the arm.

8. The housing according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second cover includes:
another cover body that is plate-like; and
an engagement, mounted on said another cover body, to engage the engaging hole.

9. The housing according to claim 8 ,
wherein said another cover body includes:
a free end side end disposed opposite the free end of the arm; and
an intermediate portion in a projection direction in which the arm projects, and
wherein, while the engagement engages the engaging hole, the first attachment is situated between the free end side end and the intermediate portion of said another cover body.

10. The housing according to claim 9 , further comprising another first attachment, mounted on the arm, to attach the first cover to the main body,
wherein the arm is plate-like and extends in an extending direction perpendicular to the projection direction in which the arm projects, and
wherein the first attachment is spaced from said another first attachment in the extending direction of the arm.

11. The housing according to claim 10 ,
wherein the arm further includes:
a base; and
a middle portion interposed between the first attachment and said another first attachment in the extending direction of the arm, and
wherein a length of the middle portion in the projection direction is smaller than a length from the base to the first attachment in the projection direction such that the middle portion defines a recess.

12. The housing according to claim 1 , further comprising another first attachment, mounted on the projection, to attach the first cover to the main body.

13. The housing according to claim 1 , further comprising a fastener to secure the second cover to the first cover.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a finisher to perform finishing on a recording medium bearing an image; and
a housing to cover the finisher,
the housing including:
a main body including an opening; and
a cover portion to cover the opening,
the cover portion including:
a first cover; and
a second cover perpendicular to the first cover,
the first cover including:
a cover body that is plate-like, and
a projection, projecting from the cover body, including a first attachment mounted on the projection, to attach the first cover to the main body, and including an engaging hole, disposed in the projection, to receive a second attachment and to attach the second cover to the first cover upon receipt of the second attachment.

15. The image forming apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the projection of the housing includes a resilient member mounting the first attachment.

16. The image forming apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first cover of the cover portion of the housing further includes another projection including another resilient member disposed opposite the resilient member, and wherein the main body is sandwiched between the resilient member and the another resilient member.

17. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an internal sheet ejection portion including:
an image reader to read an image on an original;
an image forming portion to form the image on a recording medium; and
a sheet ejection device to receive the recording medium bearing the image; and

a housing interposed between the image reader and the image forming portion in a vertical direction,
the housing including:
a main body including an opening; and
a cover portion to cover the opening,
the cover portion including:
a first cover; and
a second cover that is perpendicular to the first cover,
the first cover including:
a cover body that is plate-like; and
a projection, projecting from the cover body, including a first attachment mounted on the projection, to attach the first cover to the main body, and including an engaging hole, disposed in the projection, to receive a second attachment and to attach the second cover to the first cover upon receipt of the second attachment,

one end of the first cover being disposed at one end of the image forming portion in a horizontal direction, and
the second cover being disposed at another end of the first cover in the horizontal direction.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising a finisher to perform finishing on the recording medium bearing the image, wherein the housing covers the finisher.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a support supporting the image forming portion and the housing; and
a front cover, mounted on the support, to cover a front of the image forming portion, the front cover being separated from the first cover of the housing.

20. The image forming apparatus of claim 17 , wherein
the projection of the housing includes a resilient member mounting the first attachment,
the first cover of the cover portion of the housing further includes another projection including another resilient member disposed opposite the resilient member, and
the main body is sandwiched between the resilient member and the another resilient member.

Assignees

• Ishimitsu Hiroki
• Akama Shiro
• Endo Tsuyoshi
• Suzuki Tatsuya
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishimitsu Hiroki
• Akama Shiro
• Endo Tsuyoshi
• Suzuki Tatsuya

Classifications

• G03G21/1633 Primary

  using doors or covers (G03G21/1638 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G2221/169

  Structural door designs · CPC title

• G03G2221/1678

  Frame structures · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G21/1638

  directed to paper handling or jam treatment · CPC title