Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796932-B2
Application number	US-202217720155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2022
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including: a first door rotatable about a first rotation axis extending in a width direction within a first rotation range between a first open position and a first closed position; a second door provided below the first door and rotatable about a second rotation axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis within a second rotation range between a second open position and a second closed position, a part of the first rotation range making inroads into the second rotation range; and a retracting portion configured to rotate the first door to a retracted position to allow a rotation of the second door in conjunction with the second door being rotated to the second closed position from a state in which the first door is in the first open position and the second door is in the second open position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:
a main body provided with a first inside portion and a second inside portion;
a first door rotatable within a first rotation range between a first open position at which the first door exposes the first inside portion and a first closed position at which the first door covers the first inside portion, the first door being rotatable within the first rotation range about a first rotation axis extending in a width direction of the image forming apparatus;
a second door provided below the first door in a vertical direction and rotatable within a second rotation range between a second open position at which the second door exposes the second inside portion and a second closed position at which the second door covers the second inside portion, a part of the first rotation range making inroads into the second rotation range, the second door being rotatable within the second rotation range about a second rotation axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis; and
a retracting portion configured to cause the first door to rotate to a retracted position, at which the first door allows a rotation of the second door, in conjunction with the second door being rotated to the second closed position from a state in which the first door is located at the first open position and the second door is located at the second open position,
wherein
the retracting portion includes a first abutment portion provided on the first door and a second abutment portion provided on the second door, and
when the second door is moved from the second open position toward the second closed position, the second abutment portion is brought into abutment against the first abutment portion to move the first door to the retracted position.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation axis is provided on a right side of the second door in the width direction of the image forming apparatus in a state in which the second door is located at the second closed position.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation axis is provided on a left side of the second door in the width direction of the image forming apparatus in a state in which the second door is located at the second closed position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first abutment portion is an outer side corner on an upper edge of the first door, and
wherein the second abutment portion is an inclined surface provided on an inner side of an upper edge of the second door.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first abutment portion is an inclined surface provided between a front surface portion and a top surface portion of the first door, and
wherein the second abutment portion is an inner side corner on an upper edge of the second door.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first inside portion includes a toner container configured to contain toner, the toner container being removably mounted to the main body so that the toner container is removed from the main body in a case in which the first door is located at the first open position.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image forming portion configured to form a toner image on the recording medium; and
a fixing conveyance portion configured to fix the toner image formed by the image forming portion onto the recording medium.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the main body is provided to the image forming portion, and
wherein the image forming portion and the fixing conveyance portion are constructed of independent housings, respectively.

9. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus including:
a main body provided with a first inside portion and a second inside portion;
a first door rotatable within a first rotation range between a first open position at which the first door exposes the first inside portion and a first closed position at which the first door covers the first inside portion, the first door being rotatable within the first rotation range about a first rotation axis extending in a width direction of the image forming apparatus;
a second door provided below the first door in a vertical direction and rotatable within a second rotation range between a second open position at which the second door exposes the second inside portion and a second closed position at which the second door covers the second inside portion, a part of the first rotation range making inroads into the second rotation range, the second door being rotatable within the second rotation range about a second rotation axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the first rotation axis; and
a retracting portion configured to cause the first door to rotate to a retracted position, at which the first door allows a rotation of the second door, in conjunction with the second door being rotated to the second closed position from a state in which the first door is located at the first open position and the second door is located at the second open position;
an operation portion configured to operate the image forming apparatus; and
a feeder configured to feed the recording medium to the image forming apparatus,
wherein
the retracting portion includes a first abutment portion provided on the first door and a second abutment portion provided on the second door, and
when the second door is moved from the second open position toward the second closed position, the second abutment portion is brought into abutment against the first abutment portion to move the first door to the retracted position.

10. The image forming system according to claim 9 , wherein the first abutment portion is an outer side corner on an upper edge of the first door, and
wherein the second abutment portion is an inclined surface provided on an inner side of an upper edge of the second door.

11. The image forming system according to claim 9 , wherein the first abutment portion is an inclined surface provided between a front surface portion and a top surface portion of the first door, and
wherein the second abutment portion is an inner side corner on an upper edge of the second door.

12. The image forming system according to claim 9 , wherein the first inside portion includes a toner container configured to contain toner, the toner container being removably mounted to the main body so that the toner container is removed from the main body in a case in which the first door is located at the first open position.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Hiura Hiroshi
• Doi Shigeo
• Sato Osamu

Classifications

• G03G15/0142 Primary

  Structure of complete machines · CPC title

• G03G15/0887

  Arrangements for conveying and conditioning developer in the developing unit, e.g. agitating, removing impurities or humidity · CPC title

• G03G2221/169

  Structural door designs · CPC title

• G03G21/1633 Primary

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