Patent ID: 11971679
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G

Claim 6:
7. A metal frame of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first support configured to support one end of an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, the first support including a first metal plate and a second metal plate configured to support the first metal plate below the first metal plate in a vertical direction;
a second support which is spaced apart from the first support and configured to support the other end of the image forming unit; and
a third support configured to connect the first support and the second support to each other,
wherein the first metal plate includes:
a first portion, and
a second portion which is bent substantially vertically from the first portion, and including a substantially right-angled corner portion being provided between the first portion and the second portion,

wherein the second metal plate includes:
a third portion which is arranged vertically below the first portion,
a fourth portion which is bent substantially vertically from the third portion and is arranged below the second portion in the vertical direction,
a fifth portion which is bent from an upper portion of the third portion to form a step with the third portion in a plate thickness direction of the third portion, and engages with and is assembled to the first portion, and
a sixth portion which is bent from an upper portion of the fourth portion to form a step with the fourth portion in a plate thickness direction of the fourth portion, and engages with and is assembled to the second portion,

wherein the sixth portion includes a first stretched portion which extends along a first direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and a second stretched portion which is bent substantially vertical with respect to the first stretched portion and extends along a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction, another corner portion located between the first stretched portion and the second stretched portion facing the corner portion of the first metal plate, and
wherein a tip portion of the second stretched portion faces the fifth portion.