Image Forming Apparatus

• US 20150177678A1
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Souda, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,188,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1619 Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1652 Electrical connection means
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1678 Frame structures

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including an image forming unit, a first frame, and a first beam, and a second beam is provided. The first frame is made of resin and formed in a shape of a plate. The first beam is formed in an elongated shape. The first beam is arranged along and fixed at least partly to a planar face of the first frame. The second beam is formed in an elongated shape and arranged along the planar face of the first frame to intersect with the first beam when viewed along an axial direction of a photosensitive drum. The second beam is fixed at least partly to the planar face of the first frame. The first beam and the second beam are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the axial direction on an opposite side from the image forming unit across the first frame.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming unit comprising a photosensitive drum configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis and a developer device configured to supply a developer agent to the photosensitive drum;

a first frame made of resin and formed in a shape of a plate, the first frame being arranged on one end, along an axial direction of the rotation axis of the photosensitive drum, of the image forming unit;

a first beam formed in an elongated shape, the first beam being arranged along and fixed at least partly to a planar face of the first frame; and

a second beam formed in an elongated shape and arranged along the planar face of the first frame to intersect with the first beam when viewed along the axial direction, the second beam being fixed at least partly to the planar face of the first frame,

wherein the first beam and the second beam are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the axial direction on an opposite side from the image forming unit across the first frame.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first frame comprises a pair of contact parts, the pair of contact parts being arranged to face the first beam across a first distance along the axial direction;

and

wherein the second beam is arranged in a position between the first beam and the first frame and between the pair of contact parts to face the first beam across a second distance which is greater than the first distance.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the pair of contact parts overlap the image forming unit when projected along the axial direction.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first beam and the second beam is made of a material different from the first frame and comprises a first fixing portion, at which the at least one of the first beam and the second beam is fixed immovably to the first frame, and a second fixing portion, at which the at least one of the first beam and the second beam is partly fixed to the first frame to be movable along a longitudinal direction thereof.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first beam is arranged to overlap the image forming unit at a longitudinal central part thereof, when projected along the axial direction, while longitudinal ends of the first beam are arranged on outer sides of the image forming unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second frame arranged to face the first frame across the image forming unit; and

a connecting frame configured to be connected to the first frame and the second frame,

wherein one of longitudinal ends of the first beam is arranged to overlap the connecting frame when projected along the axial direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a spring electrode to supply electricity to the image forming unit is arranged on the first frame;

and

wherein the spring electrode is arranged in a position between the first frame and the image forming unit in a compressed condition.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first frame comprises a plurality of substrate supports, which are configured to support a substrate, the substrate being configured to supply electricity to the image forming unit via a spring electrode, and

wherein the spring electrode is arranged in a position between the substrate and the image forming unit in a compressed condition.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the plurality of substrate supports are arranged on the opposite side from the image forming unit across the first frame;

and

wherein the first frame comprises a through hole, in which the spring electrode is arranged to penetrate there-through.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the image forming unit comprises a plurality of image forming units, the plurality of image forming units being arranged to align along an aligning direction, which is orthogonal to the axial direction;

wherein the first beam is arranged to longitudinally extend orthogonally to the aligning direction and to the axial direction; and

wherein the second beam is arranged to longitudinally extend along the aligning direction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

a drawer configured to support the plurality of image forming units, the drawer being supported by the first frame movably to move along the aligning direction,

wherein the second beam is arranged to overlap the drawer when projected along the axial direction.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first beam and the second beam is made of metal.