Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474664-B2
Application number	US-202418782745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2024
Priority date	Jul 27, 2023
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a housing configured to accommodate an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material, a discharge unit configured to discharge the recording material to the outside of the housing, and a motor disposed inside of the housing and configured to drive the image forming unit. The housing includes a stacking unit on which the recording material discharged by the discharge unit is stacked and a wall surface provided at an end of the stacking unit in a width direction that is perpendicular to a vertical direction and a discharge direction of the discharge unit, and the wall surface extends upward beyond the stacking unit. The motor is disposed at a position that overlaps the wall surface as viewed in the width direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
a housing configured to accommodate an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording material; a discharge unit including a roller and configured to discharge the recording material to an outside of the housing; and a motor disposed inside of the housing and configured to drive the image forming unit, wherein the housing includes:
a stacking unit on which the recording material discharged by the discharge unit is stacked, and
a wall surface provided at an end of the stacking unit in a width direction that is perpendicular to both a vertical direction and a discharge direction of the discharge unit, and the wall surface extends upward beyond the stacking unit, and
wherein the motor is disposed at a position that overlaps the wall surface as viewed in the width direction.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first side plate that intersects the width direction,
wherein the motor is supported by the first side plate and is disposed on an inner side of the first side plate in the width direction.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a drive transmission unit configured to transmit driving force from the motor to the image forming unit, wherein the drive transmission unit is disposed on an outer side of the first side plate in the width direction.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the image forming unit is configured to be removable from the housing,
wherein the housing includes a second side plate that intersects the width direction, and wherein a space in which the image forming unit is mounted is formed between the first side plate and the second side plate in the width direction.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein when the image forming unit is mounted in the housing, the motor overlaps the image forming unit as viewed in the width direction, and the motor overlaps the image forming unit as viewed in a mounting direction in which the image forming unit is mounted to the housing.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image forming unit includes a development frame configured to store a developing agent, and
wherein when the image forming unit is mounted in the housing, the motor does not overlap the development frame as viewed in the width direction.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image forming unit has a shape in which an end surface of the image forming unit in the width direction at a first position in the mounting direction is more retracted toward a center side of the image forming unit in the width direction than the end surface of the image forming unit at a second position located upstream of the first position in the mounting direction.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an exposure device configured to emit light onto a photosensitive drum of the image forming unit for exposure, wherein the housing includes a first frame and a second frame each connected to the first side plate and the second side plate to support the exposure device, the first and second frames being disposed apart from each other in a mounting direction of the image forming unit, and wherein the motor is disposed between the first frame and the second frame in the mounting direction.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the motor overlaps at least one of the first frame or the second frame as viewed in the mounting direction.

10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a protruded portion is provided on a bottom surface portion of the exposure device so as to protrude downward beyond a top surface of the first frame and a top surface of the second frame through a space between the first frame and the second frame, and
wherein a recess is provided on a top surface portion of the image forming unit so as to be recessed downward and face the protruded portion.

11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an exposure device configured to emit light onto a photosensitive drum of the image forming unit for exposure, wherein the housing includes a first side plate that intersects the width direction, a second side plate that intersects the width direction and faces the first side plate in the width direction, and a first frame and the second frame each connected to the first side plate and the second side plate, wherein the first frame and the second frame support the exposure device and are disposed apart from each other in a horizontal direction that intersects both the vertical direction and the width direction, and wherein the motor is disposed between the first frame and the second frame in the horizontal direction.

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage section configured to store a recording material, wherein the motor is disposed at a position that overlaps the storage section as viewed in the vertical direction.

13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a transfer member configured to form, together with a photosensitive drum of the image forming unit, a transfer portion in which a toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to the recording material; and a fixing device including a heating member, a heating unit configured to heat the heating member, and a pressure member that forms a fixing portion together with the heating member, wherein the fixing device heats the toner image by using the heating member while conveying the recording material in the fixing portion, and wherein the motor rotatingly drives the photosensitive drum and one of the heating member or the pressure member.

14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein in a horizontal direction along a conveyance direction of the recording material from the transfer portion to the fixing portion,
a central axis of the motor is located between a rotational axis of the photosensitive drum and a rotational axis of the one of the heating member or the pressure member.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yoshimura Akira
• Hoashi Shigeru
• Inaba Yuichiro
• Takiguchi Masatoshi

Classifications

• B65H31/02

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• G03G15/6529

  Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1619

  Frame structures · CPC title

• G03G15/757 Primary

  Drive mechanisms for photosensitive medium, e.g. gears · CPC title

• G03G15/6552

  Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays · CPC title