Image-forming device having side walls

• US 7,894,743 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tomatsu, Yoshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray; David M
• Assistant Examiner(s): YI, ROY Y
• Application Number:
  US11/758,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 399/107
• US Class Current: 399/107
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1619 Frame structures
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00016 Special arrangement of entire apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/1695 at the second or higher order transfer point

Abstract

An image-forming device includes: a plurality of components that cooperate to form an image on a recording medium; and a housing that accommodates the components therein. The housing has a side wall unit. The side wall unit includes: a resin frame defining, on its one side, an opened accommodating space; and a first sheet metal frame that is fixed to one side of the resin frame, on which the opened accommodating space is defined, to close the accommodating space. At least one of the components is accommodated in the accommodating space enclosed by the resin frame and the first sheet metal frame.

Claims

1. An image-forming device comprising:

a plurality of components that cooperate to form an image on a recording medium; and

a housing that accommodates the components therein,

the housing having a side wall unit,

the side wall unit comprising;

a resin frame including;

a main wall with a peripheral edge; and

a peripheral wall that extends orthogonally from the peripheral edge of the main wall; and

a first sheet metal frame that is fixed to one side of the resin frame,

wherein the main wall and the peripheral wall define an accommodating recessed part of the resin frame, which defines an opening in the resin frame which includes an accommodating space,

wherein the first sheet metal frame is configured to engage the peripheral wall and close the opening defined by the accommodating recessed part of the resin frame such that the first sheet metal frame, the main wall and the peripheral wall surround and enclose the opening, at least one of the components being accommodated in the accommodating space.

2. An image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the main wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first sheet metal frame being located confronting the first surface of the main wall, the peripheral wall extending from the peripheral edge of the main wall in a direction toward the first sheet metal frame, the accommodating space being surrounded by the first surface of the main wall, the peripheral wall, and the first sheet metal frame.

3. An image-forming device according to claim 1, further comprising a second sheet metal frame that is mounted on and fixed to the resin frame on a side opposite to the side of the resin frame on which the first sheet metal frame is mounted, the second sheet metal frame being provided over at least a part of the resin frame.

4. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the main wall has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first sheet metal frame being located confronting the first surface of the main wall, the peripheral wall extending from the peripheral edge of the main wall in a direction toward the first sheet metal frame, the accommodating space being surrounded by the first surface of the main wall, the peripheral wall, and the first sheet metal frame, the second sheet metal frame being laminated over at least a part of the second surface of the main wall of the resin frame.

5. An image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the side wall unit includes a pair of side walls that are disposed in confrontation with each other and each of which includes the resin frame and the first sheet metal frame,

further comprising a metal bridge frame that connects at least one of a pair of opposite edges of the pair of side walls.

6. An image-forming device according to claim 5, wherein each side wall further comprises a second sheet metal frame that is mounted on and fixed to the resin frame on a side opposite to the side of the resin frame on which the first sheet metal frame is mounted, the second sheet metal frame being provided over at least a part of the resin frame, and

wherein the pair of side walls are located with their second sheet metal frames confronting with each other.

7. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components comprises:

a process unit that includes an image-carrying member, the image-carrying member being configured to carry a visible image thereon; and

a scanning unit that exposes the image-carrying member to light,

wherein at least the process unit and the scanning unit are supported on and positioned by either one of the first sheet metal frame and the second sheet metal frame, and other remaining components are supported on and positioned by the resin frame.

8. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components includes:

an image-carrying member that is configured to carry a visible image thereon; and

a belt that is configured to carry thereon either one of a recording medium and the visible image formed on the image-carrying member, the belt being supported on the resin frame.

9. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components include a cassette that configured to accommodate the recording medium and that can be detached from the housing, the cassette being supported on the resin frame.

10. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components include a discharge device that discharges the recording medium after an image has been formed thereon, the discharge device being supported on the resin frame.

11. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components include a transferring member that transfers a visible image onto the recording medium, the transferring member being supported on the resin frame.

12. An image-forming device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of components include a fixing unit that fixes a visible image transferred onto the recording medium, the fixing unit being supported on the resin frame.

13. An image-forming device according to claim 3,

wherein the side wall unit includes a pair of side walls that are disposed in confrontation with each other and each of which includes the resin frame, the first sheet metal frame, and the second sheet metal frame,

wherein the plurality of components comprise:

a process unit that includes an image-carrying member, the image-carrying member being configured to carry a visible image thereon, the process unit being detachably mounted on the housing; and

a scanning unit that exposes the image-carrying member to light,

wherein at least the process unit and the scanning unit are supported on and positioned by either the first sheet metal frames or the second sheet metal frames in the pair of side walls,

further comprising a positioning unit that positions the process unit relative to either the first sheet metal frames or the second sheet metal frames provided in the pair of side walls, the positioning unit including a reference shaft that is mounted on and spanning between either the first sheet metal frames or the second sheet metal frames provided in the pair of side walls,

wherein either the first sheet metal frame or the second sheet metal frame in each side wall includes;

a reference shaft mounting part that mounts the reference shaft thereon; and

a scanner positioning part that positions the scanning unit relative to the either the first sheet metal frame or the second sheet metal frame, the reference shaft mounting part and the scanner positioning part being formed within the same plane on the either the first sheet metal frame or the second sheet metal frame.

14. An image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of components includes:

a process unit including an image-carrying member; and

a drive mechanism that drives the image-carrying member, the drive mechanism being accommodated in the accommodating space enclosed by the resin frame and the first sheet metal frame.

15. An image-forming device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of components include a circuit board that is accommodated in the accommodating space enclosed by the resin frame and the first sheet metal frame.

16. The image-forming device, according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of components comprise a process unit that includes an image-carrying member, the image-carrying member being configured to carry a visible image thereon, the image-forming device further comprising:

a reference shaft; and

a second sheet metal frame that is mounted on and fixed to the resin frame on a side opposite to the side of the resin frame on which the first sheet metal frame is mounted, the second sheet metal frame including a second sheet metal frame side positioning portion and a reference shaft mounting part that supports the reference shaft and positions the reference shaft relative to the second metal frame,

wherein the resin frame includes a resin frame side positioning portion, the second metal frame being positioned relative to the resin frame by the second sheet metal frame side positioning portion and the resin frame side positioning portion,

wherein the reference shaft positions the process unit relative to the resin frame.