Image Forming Apparatus

• US 20150177679A1
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Souda, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 9,188,943 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

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, including an image forming unit, a resin-made first frame, a first beam, and a second beam, is provided. The first frame is formed in a shape of a plate. The first beam is formed in an elongated shape. The first beam is arranged along and fixed 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 first beam and the second beam are arranged on an opposite side from the image forming unit across the first frame. The first beam and the second beam are fixed to each other at a mutual intersection, where the first beam and the second beam overlap each other when viewed along the axial direction.

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 to a planar face of the first frame; and

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

wherein the first beam and the second beam are arranged on an opposite side from the image forming unit across the first frame, the first beam and the second beam being fixed to each other at a mutual intersection, where the first beam and the second beam overlap each other when viewed along the axial direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mutual intersection of the first beam and the second beam is fixed to the first frame.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the mutual intersection of the first beam and the second beam is arranged to be spaced apart from the planar face of the first frame for a first distance.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first frame comprises a pair of projections, the pair of projections protruding from the planar face toward an inner-side beam, which is one of the first beam and the second beam arranged closer to the first frame;

and

wherein the pair of projections are arranged to face the inner-side beam along the axial direction across a second distance, which is smaller than the first distance, the pair of projections being arranged in a position to locate the mutual intersection in there-between with regard to a longitudinal direction of the inner-side beam.

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 6,

wherein the other one of the longitudinal ends of the first beam is engaged with the first frame;

and

wherein the second beam is arranged in a position between the first beam and the first frame.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

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.

11. 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.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, 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.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

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