Image forming apparatus and image forming apparatus body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235591-B2
Application number	US-201916567521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a recording device and an apparatus body to internally house the recording device. The apparatus body includes an attachment unit to be removably mounted in the apparatus body and an apparatus body-side connector. The attachment unit includes an attachment-side connector to be electrically connected to the apparatus body-side connector. The apparatus body also includes a pressing portion to press the attachment unit in a direction in which the attachment-side connector faces the apparatus body-side connector in a state where the attachment unit is attached to the apparatus body. The direction is orthogonal to a mounting direction of the attachment unit. The apparatus body further includes a movable member holding the pressing portion movable between a first position where the pressing portion is closest to the apparatus body-side connector and a second position where the pressing portion is farthest from the apparatus body-side connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body having a space therein, the apparatus body including an apparatus body-side connector on a first inner wall face of the space;
an attachment unit configured to be removably mounted in the space within the apparatus body, the attachment unit including an attachment-side connector configured to be electrically connected to the apparatus body-side connector;
a pressing portion configured to press the attachment unit in a facing direction in which the attachment-side connector faces the apparatus body-side connector so as to press the attachment-side connector toward the apparatus body-side connector in a state where the attachment unit is attached to the apparatus body, the facing direction being orthogonal to a mounting direction of the attachment unit; and
a movable member including the pressing portion and configured to rotate about a rotational shaft disposed on an opposite side of the space from the first inner wall face, and to move between a first position where the pressing portion is closest to the apparatus body-side connector and a second position where the pressing portion is farthest from the apparatus body-side connector.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a distance between the pressing portion and apparatus body-side connector is shorter in a state where the attachment unit is not mounted in the apparatus body than in a state where the attachment unit is mounted in the apparatus body.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable member is configured to move in a direction drawing away from the apparatus body-side connector by contact between the attachment unit and the pressing portion as the attachment unit is mounted in the apparatus body with the movable member positioned at the first position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a portion of the pressing portion configured to contact the attachment unit includes one of an inclined face and a round face inclined in the mounting direction of the attachment unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a portion of the attachment unit configured to contact the pressing portion includes one of an inclined face and a round face inclined in the mounting direction of the attachment unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable member includes a lever disposed to face the attachment unit and,
wherein the lever is configured to face a downstream face of the attachment unit in the mounting direction when the movable member is at the first position, and
wherein the lever is configured to move upstream in the mounting direction when the movable member moves away from the apparatus body-side connector.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational shaft is disposed in a vicinity of a downstream end, in the mounting direction, of the attachment unit mounted in the apparatus body.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the movable member includes an orthogonal-direction horizontal portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the mounting direction of the attachment unit, and
wherein the orthogonal-direction horizontal portion is disposed at an upstream end in the mounting direction of the attachment unit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the apparatus body includes a cover configured to cover a container to accommodate the attachment unit in the apparatus body, and
wherein the cover includes a movement restriction member configured to restrict the movable member from moving from the first position to the second position with the cover being closed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing portion is disposed on the opposite side of the space from the first inner wall face.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operated portion rotatably attached to the apparatus body,
wherein the operated portion is operated by a user when the user detaches the attachment unit from the apparatus body,
wherein the pressing portion is configured to move in conjunction with rotation of the operated portion.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the attachment unit includes a recording device configured to record an image on a recording medium.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is a handheld printer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the apparatus body of the handheld printer is configured to be held by a user to move the handheld printer in a scanning direction to form the image.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the attachment-side connector is on a first surface of the attachment unit, and
the pressing portion is configured to press the attachment-side connector toward the apparatus body-side connector by pressing a second surface of the attachment unit that is an opposite surface of the first surface.

16. An apparatus body having a space therein in which an attachment unit is removably mounted, the apparatus body comprising:
an attachment mount configured to house the attachment unit internally, the attachment mount including an apparatus body-side connector on a first inner wall face of the space, the apparatus body-side connector configured to be electrically connected with an attachment-side connector of the attachment unit;
a pressing portion configured to press the attachment-side connector of the attachment unit in a facing direction in which the attachment-side connector faces the apparatus body-side connector toward the apparatus body-side connector in a state where the attachment unit is attached to the apparatus body, the facing direction being orthogonal to a mounting direction of the attachment unit; and
a movable member including the pressing portion and configured to rotate about a rotational shaft disposed on an opposite side of the space from the first inner wall face, and to move between a first position where the pressing portion is closest to the apparatus body-side connector and a second position where the pressing portion is farthest from the apparatus body-side connector.

17. The apparatus body according to claim 16 ,
wherein the pressing portion is disposed on the opposite side of the space from the first inner wall face.

18. The apparatus body according to claim 16 , further comprising:
an operated portion rotatably attached to the apparatus body,
wherein the operated portion is operated by a user when the user detaches the attachment unit from the apparatus body,
wherein the pressing portion is configured to move in conjunction with rotation of the operated portion.

19. The apparatus body according to claim 16 , wherein the attachment unit includes a recording device configured to record an image on a recording medium.

20. The apparatus body according to claim 19 , wherein the apparatus body is a body of a handheld printer.

21. The apparatus body according to claim 20 , wherein the apparatus body of the handheld printer is configured to be held by a user to move the handheld printer in a scanning direction to form the image.

22. An apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body having a space therein, the apparatus body including an apparatus body-side connector on a first inner wall face of the space;
an attachment unit configured to be removably mounted in the space within the apparatus body, the attachment unit including an attachment-side connector configured to be electrically connec

Assignees

• Ishida Masatoshi
• Nishioka Kunihiko
• Osanai Yohei
• Narai Satoshi
• Fujii Tomoya
• Andoh Takayuki
• Ota Masashi
• Hirata Munekazu
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishida Masatoshi
• Nishioka Kunihiko
• Osanai Yohei
• Narai Satoshi
• Fujii Tomoya
• Andoh Takayuki
• Ota Masashi
• Hirata Munekazu

Classifications

• B41J29/56

  and manually actuated · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J2/1752

  Mounting within the printer · CPC title

• B41J3/36 Primary

  for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B41J3/39

  hand-held · CPC title