JP2009042413A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which is easily installed, and which has no possibility of falling down during an installation work, wherein power is not inadvertently supplied until the installation work is completed. <P>SOLUTION: The caster unit 20a of the image forming apparatus 10 is provided with a toggle mechanism T comprising a pin 24, a lever 25 and a coil spring 26 assembled in the caster unit 20a. When the image forming apparatus 10 is lifted up at a reference position shown in the figure 3 and the operation part 25c of the lever 25 is kicked in a direction shown by an arrow (c) so as to turn the lever 25 in a counterclockwise direction around the pin 24, the lever 25 is turned in the counterclockwise direction, and the caster unit 20a is turned in the counterclockwise direction around a pin 16, and finally a wheel 22 is housed in a caster unit housing case 14. The image forming apparatus 10 is supported on a floor surface F by a bottom board 15 and the caster unit housing case 14, thereby preventing the image forming apparatus 10 from falling down. A safety switch in an off-state during the installation work comes into contact with the floor surface and is made on-state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer provided with a moving caster.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, a moving caster is provided on the bottom surface of the apparatus in order to easily move the image forming apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as an apparatus). The height of the moving caster is such a height that a space for inserting the fork of the forklift is secured between the bottom surface of the apparatus and the floor surface to be installed.

  For this reason, in the conventional image forming apparatus, the height of the operation unit is increased, which is inconvenient. As a countermeasure, a fork lift insertion groove is provided in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the device to secure a space for inserting the fork of the forklift, and the bottom surface of the entire device is configured to be low. Since the entire bottom surface is low, there are disadvantages such as rubbing the bottom surface of the apparatus depending on the situation of the floor surface to be installed when the apparatus is moved.

In order to solve such inconvenience and prevent the installed apparatus from toppling over, an apparatus in which a height-adjustable pedestal is provided on the lower side of the image forming apparatus or a caster capable of adjusting the height that can be accommodated in the apparatus Have been proposed (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-85662 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-20660

  However, in the case of using the above-described pedestal, not only is installation and adjustment complicated, but also when the caster is accommodated in the apparatus main body after the movement is completed, there is a possibility that the pedestal tilts and falls.

  Further, in the case of using a caster capable of adjusting the height that can be accommodated in the apparatus, the apparatus may fall down while the apparatus is moving or during the operation of accommodating the caster in the apparatus main body. In addition, since the height is adjusted by operating the casters on the lower side of the apparatus, there is a disadvantage that workability is poor. In addition, since the apparatus is installed with casters, there is a possibility that an unexpected accident occurs when the power is turned on and the apparatus is moved. The present invention aims to solve the various problems described above.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus provided with a caster unit on the lower side of the apparatus, and a caster unit storage case projecting on the lower side surface of the image forming apparatus, An image forming apparatus comprising: a caster unit rotatably held below the image forming apparatus; and a toggle mechanism that moves the caster unit to a reference position and a storage position.

  The toggle mechanism includes a lever that is rotatable around a pin assembled to the caster unit, and a spring that biases the lever, and when the lever is in the first position, the caster unit The caster unit is moved to the storage position when the lever is moved to the second position.

  The operation portion of the lever protrudes from the lower side of the image forming apparatus to the outside, and can be moved from the first position to the second position from the outside of the image forming apparatus.

  Further, a safety switch that shuts off the power supply is disposed on the lower side of the image forming apparatus, and the safety switch is switched from OFF to ON when the caster unit is moved to the storage position and installation is completed. It is configured.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention uses a caster unit on the lower side of the apparatus to move the image forming apparatus to a desired floor installation position, and then operates a lever operation unit that projects outward from the lower side of the image forming apparatus. The toggle mechanism is actuated by an operation such as kicking, and the caster unit is stored in the storage case. Thus, when the installation of the image forming apparatus is completed, the image forming apparatus is stably installed by the bottom plate and the bottom portion of the caster unit storage case protruding from the lower side surface of the apparatus. Since the caster unit can be stored in the storage case by a simple operation such as kicking the lever's operating part, the installation work is easy, and the caster unit storage case overhangs on the lower side of the device. There is no risk of falling. In addition, since the safety switch is in an off state until the installation work is completed, there is no possibility that the power is accidentally turned on.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of an image forming apparatus capable of accommodating casters according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the image forming apparatus viewed from the right side.

  Caster units 20 are arranged at the four lower corners of the image forming apparatus (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as an apparatus) 10. The caster unit 20 includes a right-side mounting caster unit 20a and a left-side mounting caster unit 20b when viewed from the front (FIG. 1) depending on the mounting position on the apparatus 10, and the rear side when viewed from the front (FIG. 1). Left-side caster unit (20a) and right-side caster unit (20b).

  The right-side mounting caster unit 20a and the left-side mounting caster unit 20b as viewed from the front (FIG. 1) have the same basic configuration even if there is a difference in the arrangement of members symmetrically. The left-side mounting caster unit (20a) and the right-side mounting caster unit (20b) as viewed from the front (FIG. 1) are respectively a front-side right-side mounting caster unit 20a and a left-side mounting caster as viewed from the front (FIG. 1). The configuration is the same as that of the unit 20b. Therefore, in the following description, the caster unit 20a for right side mounting on the near side will be described.

  Since the components related to image formation other than the components related to the casters are the same as the configuration of the conventional image forming apparatus, description thereof will be omitted.

  Caster units 20 are arranged at the lower four corners of the image forming apparatus 10, and a handle 11 used to lift the apparatus during apparatus installation work is mounted on the front body portion of the image forming apparatus 10. Further, a safety switch 12 is mounted on the lower side of the image forming apparatus 10. When the apparatus 10 is lifted from the floor surface F, for example, when the apparatus is moved, the safety switch 12 is turned OFF and the power is shut off. When the image forming apparatus 10 is installed on the floor F and the caster unit 20 is stored in the caster unit storage case 14 of the apparatus (when the installation is completed), the safety switch 12 is turned on, and the main power switch of the apparatus (not shown) Is set to a state in which the power can be turned on and off.

  The structure of the caster unit 20 will be described with respect to the caster unit 20a for right side mounting. 3 to 7 are diagrams illustrating the configuration and movement of the caster unit 20a. FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the caster unit 20a protrudes from the lower side of the image forming apparatus 10 (hereinafter referred to as a reference position). Show. At the reference position, the wheels 22c of the caster unit 20a are in contact with the floor surface F and support the image forming apparatus 10 so as to be movable. This state is set when the image forming apparatus 10 is moved.

  FIG. 7 shows a state in which the caster unit 20a is in the storage position stored in the caster unit storage case 14 of the image forming apparatus 10. This state is obtained when the apparatus 10 is installed on the floor F and the installation is completed. 4 to 6 show a transitional state when the caster unit 20a moves from the reference position (see FIG. 3) to the storage position (see FIG. 7).

  The configuration of the caster unit 20a will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 13 denotes a part of the box of the image forming apparatus 10, and a caster unit storage case 14 that stores the caster unit 20 a is provided on a part of the lower side surface of the box 13. The caster unit storage case 14 is provided to project outward from a part of the box 13 of the image forming apparatus 10 and has a function of preventing the image forming apparatus 10 from toppling over. Reference numeral 15 denotes a part of the bottom plate of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The caster unit 20 a is rotatably mounted around a pin 16 provided on the box 13 of the image forming apparatus 10. A mounting surface 22b of a U-shaped holding member 22a that holds the wheel 22c is fixedly attached to the lower surface of the caster unit 20a. The wheel 22c is widely used, and the wheel 22c is rotatably held by a U-shaped holding member 22a.

  A central portion 25a of a lever 25 is rotatably mounted on a pin 24 provided on the caster unit 20a. A coil spring 26 is installed between a pin 25 b provided at one end of the lever 25 and a pin 18 provided on the box 13 of the image forming apparatus 10, and the lever 25 rotates around the pin 24 in the clockwise direction (the direction of arrow a). , See FIG. 3) and the coil spring 26 so as to rotate in the opposite direction (arrow b direction, see FIG. 4). A toggle mechanism T is configured by the pin 24, the lever 25, and the coil spring 26 provided in the caster unit 20a.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the caster unit 20a is held at the reference position. The lever 25 of the toggle mechanism T rotates clockwise around the pin 24 (in the direction of the arrow a) and moves to the other end of the lever 25. The locking portion 25d comes into contact with the lock pin 27, the caster unit 20a is stopped and held at the reference position, and the wheels 22c of the caster unit 20a are in contact with the floor surface F.

  The operation part 25c at one end of the lever 25 protrudes to the outside of the box of the image forming apparatus 10, and is formed such that a stepping operation such as kicking in the direction of arrow c in FIG.

  Installation work of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. Several installation workers hold the handle 11 of the front body portion of the image forming apparatus 10, lift the image forming apparatus 10, kick the operation section 25 c at one end of the lever 25 in the direction of arrow c, and pin the lever 25. When the lever 25 of the toggle mechanism T is rotated in the arrow b direction (see FIG. 4) around 24, the lever 25 is rotated counterclockwise against the biasing force of the coil spring 26, and the lever 25 is further counterclockwise (arrow). The rotation in the b direction (see FIG. 4) is to be continued. Since the image forming apparatus 10 is lifted by the installation operator and the wheel 22c is not in contact with the floor surface F or slightly in contact therewith, the lever 25 is counterclockwise by the urging force of the coil spring 26. The rotation in the direction (arrow b direction, see FIG. 4) is continued, and the entire caster unit 20a rotates counterclockwise around the pin 16 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

  Further, when the entire caster unit 20a rotates counterclockwise around the pin 16, the wheel 22c of the caster unit 20a is stored in the caster unit storage case 14 when the state shown in FIG. The caster unit 20a is moved from the reference position (see FIG. 3) protruding from the lower side of the image forming apparatus 10 to the storage position (see FIG. 7), and the installation of the image forming apparatus 10 is completed.

  When the installation is completed, the image forming apparatus 10 is supported on the floor F by a large area by the bottom plate of the box 13 of the image forming apparatus 10 and the bottom portion of the caster unit storage case 14, and can be prevented from falling.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 10, the safety switch 12 is in an OFF state until the caster unit 20a moves from the reference position (FIG. 3) protruding from the lower side of the image forming apparatus 10 to the storage position (see FIG. 7). Yes, when the installation is completed after reaching the storage position (see FIG. 7), the safety switch 12 comes into contact with the floor surface and is turned on, and the main power switch of the image forming apparatus (not shown) can be turned on / off.

  An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer provided with a moving caster, in which the wheels of the caster unit can be housed in the image forming apparatus and the overturning is prevented, and the power is supplied until the image forming apparatus is installed. This is an image forming apparatus provided with a safety switch that cannot be turned on.

1 is a front view of an image forming apparatus that can accommodate casters according to the present invention. The side view which looked at the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 from the right side. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state where a caster unit is at a reference position on the lower side of the image forming apparatus. The figure explaining the movement state from a reference | standard position to a storage position of a caster unit (the 1). The figure explaining the movement state from a reference | standard position to a storage position of a caster unit (the 2). FIG. 6 is a diagram (No. 3) for explaining a movement state of a caster unit from a reference position to a storage position. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a caster unit is in a storage position below the image forming apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Handle 12 Safety switch 13 Box body (box body of image forming apparatus)
14 Caster unit storage case 15 Bottom plate (bottom plate of image forming apparatus)
16 pin 20, 20a, 20b caster unit 22a U-shaped holding member 22b mounting surface 22c wheel 24 pin 25 lever 25a central portion (center portion of lever)
25b Pin 25c Operation part (operation part at one end of lever 25)
25d Locking part (locking part of the other end of the lever 25)
26 Coil spring 27 Lock pin F Floor surface (floor surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed)

Claims (4)

In an image forming apparatus provided with a caster unit on the lower side of the apparatus,
A caster unit storage case overhanging the lower side surface of the image forming apparatus;
A caster unit rotatably held on the lower side of the image forming apparatus;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a toggle mechanism that moves the caster unit to a reference position and a storage position. The toggle mechanism includes a lever that is rotatable around a pin assembled to the caster unit, and a spring that biases the lever. When the lever is in the first position, the caster unit is set to a reference position. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the caster unit is moved to a storage position when the lever is moved to a second position. 3. The lever according to claim 2, wherein an operating portion of the lever protrudes from the lower side of the image forming apparatus and can be moved from the first position toward the second position from the outside of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus described in 1. A safety switch that shuts off the power supply is disposed below the image forming apparatus, and the safety switch is switched from OFF to ON when the caster unit is moved to a storage position and installation is completed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

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