Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020230986-A1
Application number	US-202016745385-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 17, 2020
Priority date	Jan 23, 2019
Publication date	Jul 23, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cover, a first positioning member, and a second positioning member. The apparatus body includes a mounted portion. The cover is detachably mounted on the apparatus body. The cover includes a mounting portion configured to be mounted on the mounted portion of the apparatus body. The first positioning member is configured to position the cover at a first target position in a first direction with respect to the apparatus body. The second positioning member is configured to position the cover at a second target position in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the apparatus body, before the mounting portion is mounted on the mounted portion after the cover is positioned at the first target position by the first positioning member.

First claim

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
an apparatus body including a mounted portion; a cover detachably mounted on the apparatus body, the cover including a mounting portion configured to be mounted on the mounted portion of the apparatus body; a first positioning member configured to position the cover at a first target position in a first direction with respect to the apparatus body; and a second positioning member configured to position the cover at a second target position in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with respect to the apparatus body, before the mounting portion is mounted on the mounted portion after the cover is positioned at the first target position by the first positioning member.

2 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second positioning member is configured to contact the apparatus body or the cover, when the cover is not positioned at the second target position, to restrict movement of the mounting portion in an approach direction in which the mounting portion approaches the mounted portion.

3 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the cover including:
a cover base on which the mounting portion is disposed; and
a cover one-side wall extending from the cover base and being configured to contact one side of the apparatus body in the second direction to restrict movement of the cover in a contact direction in which the cover moves to contact the apparatus body,
wherein the second positioning member is disposed on a side wall of the cover in the first direction and at a position deviated to an opposite side of the cover one-side wall in the second direction.

4 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the cover includes a rotation stopper configured to restrict the apparatus body and the cover from relatively rotating around a contact point of the second positioning member against the apparatus body or the cover, when the second positioning member restricts the movement of the mounting portion in the approach direction.

5 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the cover includes a cover base on which the mounting portion is disposed, wherein the first positioning member includes a plurality of cover side walls extending from the cover base, the plurality of cover side walls configured to contact both sides of the apparatus body in the first direction to position the cover at the first target position, wherein the apparatus body includes a plurality of projections on both sides of the apparatus body in the first direction, each of the plurality of projections configured to contact an end portion of each of the plurality of cover side walls to restrict the apparatus body and the cover from relatively rotating around the contact point, wherein the end portion is at an opposite side of the cover base in each of the plurality of cover side walls.

6 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein each of the plurality of projections is a holding portion configured to hold a held portion of each of the plurality of cover side walls when the cover is mounted to the apparatus body.

7 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second positioning member includes:
a guide projection on the cover; and
a guide groove on the apparatus body configured to guide the guide projection along a normal mounting direction of the mounting portion to the mounted portion while restricting movement of the guide projection in the second direction.

8 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein a length in the second direction of an entrance of the guide groove into which a leading end of the guide projection enters when the cover is mounted to the apparatus body is greater than a length in the second direction of the leading end of the guide projection, wherein a length in the second direction of a portion of the guide projection that has entered the guide groove when mounting of the cover to the apparatus body is complete is substantially same as a length in the second direction of a portion of the guide groove facing the portion of the guide projection.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein at least one of the guide projection and the guide groove includes a wear-resistant member.

10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mounted portion includes an image forming device.

11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an attachment detachably attached on the apparatus body,
wherein the cover is mounted on the apparatus body in a state in which the cover covers the attachment attached on the apparatus body, wherein the mounting portion of the cover is an engaging portion and the mounted portion of the apparatus body is an engaged portion, wherein the image forming apparatus further comprises a switching device configured to switch a holding state in which the attachment is held by the cover and a non-holding state in which the attachment is not held by the cover, wherein the switching device is configured to engage the engaging portion with the engaged portion being housed in the cover, to turn the attachment into the holding state, wherein the switching device is configured to disengage the engaging portion from the engaged portion, to turn the attachment into the non-holding state.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J3/36 Primary

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

• B41J3/445

  Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras · CPC title

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title