Package body for image forming apparatus

A package body for packing a main body of an image forming apparatus is configured to be conveyed when the image forming apparatus is packed therein. The package body includes a packing box which covers the main body of the image forming apparatus, and a heat insulating portion, disposed between the packing box and a part of a plurality of exterior surfaces of the image forming apparatus, for insulating a toner bottle installed in the image forming apparatus. The heat insulating portion includes a first heat insulating portion, covering the toner bottle on a front side surface of the main body, a second heat insulating portion, covering the toner bottle on a second side surface of the main body included in the plurality of exterior surfaces, and meeting the first side surface, and a third heat insulating portion, covering a discharge tray portion of the image forming apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a package body for an image forming apparatus.

Description of the Related Art

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-105710 discloses a configuration in which a front surface of a packed object is covered with a heat insulating member, a temperature control member is disposed between the heat insulating member and the packed object, and a temperature of a portion around the packed object is adjusted to a temperature within a predetermined range. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress performance degradation of an electronic device when the electronic device is packed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-1688 discloses a configuration in which a sheet material is disposed in a portion of a packed object. According to this configuration, it is possible to easily take a product out when a product is unpacked.

Recently, it has been desired to reduce effort when an image forming apparatus is changed from a packed state to an available state by being unpacked. As a result, packing has been desired to be performed in a state in which a toner bottle is installed in an apparatus main body. However, when the image forming apparatus is transported, the image forming apparatus may be put into a container in the packed state and placed in a harbor, and thus an internal temperature of the container may rise due to direct sunlight. In particular, in the inside of the container, heat is easily accumulated above the apparatus main body.

When a toner is heated to a predetermined temperature or more, the toner deteriorates and results in a defect in the image forming apparatus and a defective image. In addition, recently, an increase in temperature of the toner bottle at the time of transportation of the image forming apparatus has become severe as a result of global warming, miniaturization of the image forming apparatus, and a decrease in melting point of the toner.

Under these circumstances, when the heat insulating member is disposed on all surfaces of the image forming apparatus as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-105710, it is effective in suppressing an increase in temperature of the toner bottle. However, the number or quantity of packing members increases.

In addition, when a portion which is not restricted to a portion around the toner bottle of the image forming apparatus is merely covered with the sheet material or a buffer material as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-1688, the portion around the toner bottle is insufficiently insulated. As a result, a temperature of the toner bottle greatly increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention has been conceived in view of the above circumstances, and it is desirable to provide a package body for an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the number of heat insulating members which suppress an increase in temperature of a toner bottle when the toner bottle is conveyed in a state in which the toner bottle is installed in an apparatus main body.

A package body for an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a packing box which covers respective surfaces of an apparatus main body;

wherein the apparatus main body includes

an installation portion in which a toner bottle is installed,

a sheet conveying portion to convey the sheet, disposed between the installation portion and a first side surface of the apparatus main body,

an image forming unit disposed below the installation portion to form an image,

a driving electrical portion which drives the image forming unit,

a supporting portion which supports the driving electrical portion disposed on a back surface side of the apparatus main body of the installation portion, and

a discharge tray portion disposed above the installation portion to discharge the sheet, and

a heat insulating portion disposed between the packing box and the apparatus main body and disposed to cover a part of portion around the apparatus main body, wherein the heat insulating portion contains a first heat insulating portion which cover an area that the toner bottle installed in the installation portion projects on a front side surface of the apparatus main body vertically, a second heat insulating portion which cover an area that the toner bottle installed in the installation portion projects on a second side surface of the apparatus main body faced the first side surface vertically, and a third heat insulating portion which cover an area that the toner bottle installed in the installation portion projects on the discharge tray portion for vertical rise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, sizes, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of components described in the embodiments below should be appropriately changed according to a configuration and various conditions of an apparatus to which the invention is applied, and the scope of the invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus100according to Embodiment 1. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the image forming apparatus100includes an image forming portion1, an image read portion2disposed above the image forming portion1, and an auto original feeding portion3disposed above the image read portion2.

The auto original feeding portion3feeds an original D which is set to face upward on an original tray301one by one in order from a top page, carries the original D above a platen glass201of the image read portion2through a curved path, and then discharges the original D to a discharge tray302.

When the original D conveyed by the auto original feeding portion3passes above the platen glass201from a left side to a right side, the image read portion2reads an image by a scanner unit202held at a predetermined position. In other words, the image read portion2irradiates a read surface of the original D with light by a lamp203of the scanner unit202, and guides reflected light from the original D to a lens207through mirrors204,205and206. Light passing through the lens207forms an image on an imaging area of an image sensor208, and is converted into an electrical digital signal and transmitted.

In addition, the image read portion2may perform image reading processing by lifting up and directly setting the original D on the platen glass201without using the auto original feeding portion3, and scanning the original D from the left side to the right side using the scanner unit202. In other words, the auto original feeding portion3may not be necessarily installed, and the image read portion2may include an original pressing member which presses the original D set on the platen glass201.

The image forming portion1includes an imaging portion10for a variety of colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk). The imaging portion10includes a photosensitive drum11, a charging roller12, a laser scanner13, and a development apparatus14. A surface of the photosensitive drum11is uniformly charged by the charging roller12, and then an electrostatic image is formed thereon by the laser scanner13which is driven based on transmitted image information. The development apparatus14forms a toner image by developing the electrostatic image on the surface of the photosensitive drum11using a toner. The toner of the development apparatus14is supplied from a toner bottle15.

The toner image on the photosensitive drum11is sequentially transferred to an intermediate transfer belt31by a predetermined applied pressure and an electrostatic load bias applied by a primary transfer roller18. After the transfer, a slight toner remaining on the photosensitive drum11is removed and collected by a photosensitive drum cleaner16, and provided for subsequent image formation again.

Meanwhile, a sheet P is fed from a cassette20such that one sheet is fed at a time, and conveyed to a pair of registration rollers23. Referring to the sheet P, skew feeding is corrected when a leading edge imitates a nip portion of the pair of registration rollers23to form a loop. Thereafter, the pair of registration rollers23conveys the sheet P to a portion between the intermediate transfer belt31and a secondary transfer external roller35by synchronizing with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt31.

The color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt31is transferred to the sheet P by a predetermined applied pressure and an electrostatic load bias applied to a nip portion of the secondary transfer external roller35and a secondary transfer internal roller34facing the intermediate transfer belt31. After the toner image is transferred to the sheet P, a slight toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt31is removed and collected by a transfer cleaner36, and provided for subsequent image formation again. The toner image transferred onto the sheet P is fixed by being heated and pressurized by a fixing device40, and discharged onto a discharge tray portion50by a pair of discharge rollers41.

An installation portion60in which the toner bottle15is installed is included in a section of an apparatus main body100A. Herein, the discharge tray portion50is disposed above the installation portion60. The intermediate transfer belt31and the imaging portion10are disposed below the toner bottle15. A sheet conveying portion81in which the sheet P is conveyed is disposed on a right side of the toner bottle15. A driving electrical portion90including a drive mechanism91which drives an image forming unit G and an electrical portion92is disposed on a back side of the toner bottle15(in a region of a wall having a rear side surface54ofFIG. 2C). A supporting portion J which supports the driving electrical portion90is disposed on a back surface side of the installation portion60. A back surface of the supporting portion J corresponds to the rear side surface54described below.

The driving electrical portion may include a controller which controls the drive mechanism. In addition, herein, the sheet conveying portion81is disposed on a right side of the toner bottle15. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the sheet conveying portion81may be disposed on a left side of the toner bottle15.

FIG. 2Ais a perspective view illustrating a state in which an accessory box70A and heat insulating members71and72are removed from the image forming portion1which is taken out of a packing box64.FIG. 2Bis a perspective view illustrating a state in which the accessory box70A and the heat insulating members71and72are provided in the image forming portion1which is taken out of the packing box64.

As illustrated inFIG. 2A, the accessory box70A serving as a heat insulating member is stored in the discharge tray portion50of the image forming portion1. A left side surface heat insulating member71is attached to a left side surface51of the image forming portion1. A front side surface heat insulating member72is attached to a front side surface52of the image forming portion1. In the present embodiment, the front side surface (front of the apparatus) refers to a side on which an operation portion which operates the apparatus main body is provided. In addition, the back surface side of the apparatus main body refers to a surface that faces the front of the apparatus.

In this way, the following description can be made. The front side surface heat insulating member72and the left side surface heat insulating member71are provided to the front side surface52of the apparatus main body100A and the left side surface51which serves as an “opposite side surface” in an opposite direction to a direction in which the sheet conveying portion81is present, and the accessory box70A is provided to the discharge tray portion50. The heat insulating members are disposed on three surfaces to cover at least a whole area of a projection portion of the toner bottle15(here, an adjacent position in which the toner bottle15and a frame are interposed) installed in the installation portion60.

On the other hand, the heat insulating members are not disposed on the front side surface52of the apparatus main body100A, the left side surface51in the opposite direction to the direction in which the sheet conveying portion81is present, and “surfaces other than the three surfaces” of the discharge tray portion50, for example, a right side surface53as “a first side surface” and the rear side surface54.

The left side surface heat insulating member71and the front side surface heat insulating member72serving as “first heat insulating members” of the “heat insulating portion,” and are disposed between the packing box64and the apparatus main body100A to partially cover a part of a portion around the image forming apparatus100. The left side surface heat insulating member71and the front side surface heat insulating member72are disposed with a predetermined space from the apparatus main body100A. The left side surface heat insulating member71and the front side surface heat insulating member72may come into contact with the apparatus main body100A. The heat insulating members can come into contact with the apparatus main body100A such that a space therebetween is eliminated. In this way, it is possible to prevent warm air from flowing into the space between the heat insulating members and the apparatus main body100A, and to enhance insulation effectiveness. For this reason, the heat insulating members have heat insulating properties and heat storing properties. The heat insulating portion is a cellular porous medium. Therefore, the heat insulating portion is disposed between the packing box64and the apparatus main body100A and disposed to cover a part of a portion around the apparatus main body100A. The heat insulating portion contains the following portion. The front side surface heat insulating member72is “a first heat insulating portion” which covers an area of the toner bottle15, installed in the installation portion60, which projects on a front side surface of the apparatus main body100A vertically. The left side surface heat insulating member71is “a second heat insulating portion” which covers an area of the toner bottle15, installed in the installation portion60, which projects on a second side surface of the apparatus main body100A which meets the first side surface vertically. And the accessory box70A is “a third heat insulating portion” which covers an area of the toner bottle15, installed in the installation portion60, which projects on the discharge tray portion50for vertical rise.

A rectangular pallet61is disposed below the image forming portion1. A bottom buffer material62is provided at each of four corners on the pallet61. The image forming portion1is placed in a region surrounded by the bottom buffer material62on the pallet61. A ceiling of the image forming portion1is formed in a rectangular shape, and a top buffer material63is provided at each of three corners except for a left front portion among the four corners. In this state, the image forming portion1is overlaid with the packing box64from an upper part. Therefore, the packing box64covers the whole of the apparatus main body100A, thereby completing a package body80for the image forming apparatus. The bottom buffer material62and the top buffer material63are disposed to abut on the packing box64and the image forming portion1. However, the buffer materials may not particularly be intended to obtain insulation effectiveness.

Herein, heat insulating members are disposed in the discharge tray portion50, the left side surface51, and the front side surface52. When the image forming apparatus100is transported by a container, a case in which an ambient temperature on an outside of the packing box64rises and thus heat is transferred to an inside of the packing box64is presumed. This is because, in this case, heat is easily transferred to the toner bottle15from the left side surface51, the front side surface52and the discharge tray portion50positioned near the toner bottle15.

On the other hand, the sheet conveying portion81, which conveys the sheet P, is disposed on the right side of the toner bottle15. The driving electrical portion90, including the drive mechanism91which drives the image forming unit G and the electrical portion92, is disposed on the back side of the toner bottle15. The intermediate transfer belt31, the imaging portion10, and the cassette20are disposed below the toner bottle15. Heat is rarely transferred to the toner bottle15through the above-mentioned region. Units used for image formation such as the imaging portion10, and the intermediate transfer belt31described above are included in the image forming unit G.

A toner is included in the imaging portion10. However, the toner of the imaging portion10contains a lot of carriers when compared to the toner of the toner bottle15, and thus a standard temperature thereof is high. In addition, the heat insulating members may be disposed in at least a portion on which the toner bottle15is projected in a surface near the apparatus main body100A. However, it is more effective when a larger area is covered.

There may be a space between the accessory box70A and the left side surface heat insulating member71and a space between the accessory box70A and the front side surface heat insulating member72illustrated inFIG. 2B. However, the space is desired to be small. In addition, the heat insulating members may be separated from exterior surfaces of the apparatus main body100A, but can be disposed in the immediate vicinity. Further, the heat insulating members may come into contact with an internal surface of the packing box64, and can be separated from the packing box64to avoid heat conduction from the packing box64. In addition, the heat insulating members may be divided or formed in an integrated manner.

The accessory box70A, the left side surface heat insulating member71, and the front side surface heat insulating member72have heat insulating properties and heat storing properties. Specifically, the accessory box70A includes a stacked corrugated cardboard, a manual of the image forming apparatus, and a component for the image forming apparatus which is removed during transportation, and has the heat insulating property and the heat storing property, such that the accessory box70A reduces an increase in temperature of the toner bottle15. A material having a heat insulating property and a heat storing property may be used as a material of each of the accessory box70A, the left side surface heat insulating member71, and the front side surface heat insulating member72. Examples of the material include a corrugated cardboard, a foaming material, and a phase change material.

According to this configuration, when the toner bottle15is conveyed in a state in which the toner bottle15is installed in the apparatus main body100A, it is possible to suppress an increase in temperature of the toner bottle15using fewer heat insulating members.

FIG. 3Ais a perspective view illustrating a state in which a discharge portion heat insulating member75, and heat insulating members71,72,73, and74are removed from an image forming portion1which is taken out of a packing box64with regard to Embodiment 2.FIG. 3Bis a perspective view illustrating a state in which the discharge portion heat insulating member75and the heat insulating members71,72,73, and74are stored in the image forming portion1which is taken out of the packing box64. In configurations of Embodiment 2, the same reference numeral is applied to the same configuration as that of Embodiment 1 and the description thereof is cited. Here, the description will be omitted.

Embodiment 2 is different in configuration from Embodiment 1 in that the accessory box70A is changed to the discharge portion heat insulating member75, the right side surface heat insulating member73is additionally provided to a right side surface53, and the rear side surface heat insulating member74is additionally provided to a rear side surface54. As illustrated inFIGS. 3A and 3B, the right side surface heat insulating member73and the rear side surface heat insulating member74are thinner than the discharge portion heat insulating member75, the left side surface heat insulating member71, and the front side surface heat insulating member72, and have low heat insulating properties.

For these reasons, the following description can be made. The front side surface heat insulating member72, the left side surface heat insulating member71and the discharge portion heat insulating member75serving as “first heat insulating members” are disposed in at least the projection portion of a toner bottle15with respect to three surfaces corresponding to a front side surface52of an apparatus main body100A, a left side surface51in an opposite direction to a direction in which a sheet conveying portion81is present, and a discharge tray portion50.

On the other hand, the right side surface heat insulating member73and the rear side surface heat insulating member74serving as “second heat insulating members” of the “heat insulating cover portion” are disposed to face “surfaces other than the three surfaces”, the three surfaces corresponding to the front side surface52of the apparatus main body100A, the left side surface51in the opposite direction to the direction in which the sheet conveying portion81is present, and the discharge tray portion50. Herein, the right side surface53and the rear side surface54correspond to the “surfaces other than the three surfaces”. The front side surface heat insulating member72, the left side surface heat insulating member71, and the discharge portion heat insulating member75have higher heat insulating properties than the right side surface heat insulating member73and the rear side surface heat insulating member74. The second heat insulating members are disposed at positions different from those of the first heat insulating members. “The heat insulating cover portion” is disposed between the packing box64and the apparatus main body100A, and is disposed to cover almost a whole area of the apparatus main body100A. “The heat insulating cover portion” is low in insulation performance relative to “the heat insulating portion”. “The heat insulating cover portion” and “the heat insulating portion” may be formed of a plurality of parts. The heat insulating cover portion is a corrugated carton.

The left side surface heat insulating member71, the front side surface heat insulating member72, the right side surface heat insulating member73, and the rear side surface heat insulating member74serving as the “heat insulating members” are disposed between the packing box64and the apparatus main body100A. The left side surface heat insulating member71, the front side surface heat insulating member72, the right side surface heat insulating member73, and the rear side surface heat insulating member74are disposed to have a predetermined space from the apparatus main body100A. The left side surface heat insulating member71, the front side surface heat insulating member72, the right side surface heat insulating member73, and the rear side surface heat insulating member74may come into contact with the apparatus main body100A. The discharge portion heat insulating member75, the left side surface heat insulating member71, the front side surface heat insulating member72, the right side surface heat insulating member73, and the rear side surface heat insulating member74have heat insulating properties and heat storing properties.

Although this has been described in Embodiment 1, the sheet conveying portion81which conveys a sheet is disposed on the right side of the toner bottle15. A driving electrical portion90including a drive mechanism91which drives an image forming unit and an electrical portion92is disposed on a back side of the toner bottle15. An intermediate transfer belt31, an imaging portion10, and a cassette20are disposed below the toner bottle15. Therefore, an environment in which heat is rarely transferred to the toner bottle15is previously provided.

Herein, the heat insulating members are disposed on the discharge tray portion50, the left side surface51, the front side surface52, the right side surface53, and the rear side surface54. However, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the heat insulating members may be disposed on regions other than the above-mentioned regions.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus300according to Embodiment 3. In configurations of Embodiment 3, the same reference numeral is applied to the same configuration as that of Embodiment 1 and the description thereof is cited. Here, the description will be omitted.

As illustrated inFIG. 4, an imaging portion10and an intermediate transfer belt31are disposed above a toner bottle15. Therefore, in this configuration, a discharge tray portion50(seeFIG. 1) is not present directly above the toner bottle15. A sheet conveying portion81which conveys a sheet is disposed on a right side of the toner bottle15. A driving electrical portion90including a drive mechanism91which drives an image forming unit G and an electrical portion92is disposed on a back side of the toner bottle15. Herein, the sheet conveying portion81is disposed on the right side of the toner bottle15. However, the invention is not limited to this configuration, and the sheet conveying portion may be disposed on a left side of the toner bottle15.

In the present embodiment, a left side surface heat insulating member71is attached to a left side surface51, and a front side surface heat insulating member72is attached to a front side surface52. As illustrated inFIGS. 5A and 5B, an accessory box70A and a discharge portion heat insulating member75are not present. Therefore, heat insulating members are provided on two particular surfaces, and heat insulating members are not provided on surfaces other than the two surfaces.

Even though a toner is contained in the imaging portion10, a weight ratio of the toner to carriers in the imaging portion10is toner:carriers=10:90, and thus the carriers are contained at a high ratio. On the other hand, the toner bottle15only contains a toner. Therefore, the imaging portion10has a high standard temperature. However, the standard temperature may be exceeded due to an ambient temperature of an outside of a packing box64. Thus, in that case, a heat insulating member can be disposed on the discharge tray portion50.

Similarly to Embodiment 3, Embodiment 4 includes an imaging portion10and an intermediate transfer belt31above a toner bottle15, but excludes a discharge tray portion50directly above the toner bottle15as in the image forming apparatus300ofFIG. 4. In addition, Embodiment 4 includes a sheet conveying portion81, which conveys a sheet, on a right side or a left side of the toner bottle15, and includes a driving electrical portion, which has a drive mechanism and an electrical portion and drives an image forming unit, on a back side of the toner bottle15.

The present embodiment is an embodiment in which heat insulating members are disposed on surfaces in addition to a left side surface51of an image forming portion1and a front side surface52of the image forming portion1. The present embodiment has a configuration similar to that of Embodiment 2 except for the heat insulating member of the discharge tray portion50. Therefore, first heat insulating members having first heat insulating properties are provided on two particular surfaces, and second heat insulating members having heat insulating properties smaller than the first heat insulating properties are disposed on surfaces other than the two surfaces. A drawing and a description related thereto will be omitted.

According to the invention, it is possible to reduce the number of heat insulating members which suppress an increase in temperature of the toner bottle15when the toner bottle15is conveyed in a state in which the toner bottle15is installed in the apparatus main body100A.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-119830, filed Jun. 10, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.