Abstract:
An electronic apparatus comprising: a unit which is mountable and removable at an electronic apparatus main body; a locking component; a mounted component which is mounted at the unit; a stopper member which is mounted at the unit and impedes removal of the mounted component from the unit; a first engaged portion which is provided at one of the unit and the stopper member; and a first engaging portion which is provided at the other of the unit and the stopper member, the first engaging portion engaging with the first engaged portion when the stopper member is mounted at the unit and impeding removal of the stopper member from the unit, being operable for releasing the engagement with the first engaged portion, and being inoperable in a state in which the unit is mounted at the electronic apparatus main body, is provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus including a unit which is mountable/removable at an electronic apparatus main body to be removable to outside the electronic apparatus main body, or a mounted component which is mounted at a circuit board provided inside the electronic apparatus main body to be removable to outside the electronic apparatus main body. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    In an electronic apparatus such as a notebook computer, a printer or the like, it is possible to additionally install a function expansion device (unit) for expanding functionality, such as an external memory device, a communication device, a network controller or the like. In such an electronic apparatus, in order to prevent theft of the added function expansion device, a locking component such as a KENSINGTON LOCK (registered trademark) or the like is provided. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus comprising: a unit which is mountable and removable at an electronic apparatus main body; a locking component which, in a locked state, impedes removal of the unit from the electronic apparatus main body and, in an unlocked state, allows removal of the unit from the electronic apparatus main body; a mounted component which is mounted at the unit to be removable to outside the electronic apparatus main body; a stopper member which is mounted at the unit and impedes removal of the mounted component from the unit; a first engaged portion which is provided at one of the unit and the stopper member; and a first engaging portion which is provided at the other of the unit and the stopper member, the first engaging portion engaging with the first engaged portion when the stopper member is mounted at the unit and impeding removal of the stopper member from the unit, being operable for releasing the engagement with the first engaged portion, and being inoperable in a state in which the unit is mounted at the electronic apparatus main body 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing principal portions of an image-forming apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing principal portions of the image-forming apparatus of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a unit which is provided at the image-forming apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing an enlargement of a portion of the unit of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view showing an enlargement of the portion of the unit of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a KENSINGTON LOCK which is provided at the image-forming apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing an enlargement of a portion of the unit of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing an enlargement of a portion of a unit which is provided at an image-forming apparatus of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described on the basis of the drawings. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , at an image-forming apparatus  10  which serves as an electronic apparatus of the present invention, a mountable/removable unit  13  is disposed at an image-forming apparatus main body  12 . This unit  13  includes a frame  14  at which at least a controller circuit board  16  is attached. This frame  14  is insertably/extractably (and mountably/removably) accommodated in a frame accommodation portion  18  which is provided at a lower portion of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 . It is also possible, both before and after fabrication, to additionally install circuit boards for expanding functionality at the frame  14 , such as an HDD circuit board  20  carrying an HDD (hard disk drive), a wireless LAN (local area network) interface circuit board  22  and the like. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the frame  14  is provided standing to the outside of the image-forming apparatus main body  12  (a downstream side in an extracting direction), and is structured with an outer wall  14 A, a side wall  14 B and a side wall  14 C. The outer wall  14 A extends longitudinally in a direction perpendicular to the extracting direction (a horizontal direction of  FIG. 1 ). The side wall  14 B is joined to one longitudinal direction end portion of the outer wall  14 A (a left side end portion in  FIG. 1 ), and extends into the image-forming apparatus main body  12  (i.e., to an upstream side in the extracting direction). The side wall  14 C is joined to the other longitudinal direction end of the outer wall  14 A (the right side thereof in  FIG. 1 ), and extends into the image-forming apparatus main body  12 . Flange portions  14 D for screw-fixing are formed at lower portions of the side wall  14 B and the side wall  14 C. Edge portions of the controller circuit board  16  are fixed by screws to the flange portions  14 D. 
         [0018]    A parallel connector  38  is attached to an end portion of the controller circuit board  16  at the outer wall  14 A side thereof. This parallel connector  38  protrudes outside the apparatus through a rectangular through-hole  14 F formed in the outer wall  14 A, and enables connection of a parallel cable (not shown). 
         [0019]    Further, at an inner side face of the outer wall  14 A, the HDD circuit board  20  and the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22  are fixed with screws via respective stays  21  and  24 . The HDD circuit board  20  is disposed at the upper right of the controller circuit board  16  in  FIG. 2 , and the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22  is disposed at the lower left of the controller circuit board  16  in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0020]    A USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector  30  is mounted at the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22 . A USB connector  28  of a wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26 , which serves as a mounted component, is removably connected to the USB connector  30 . Of this USB connector  30 , a terminal portion is arranged toward the outer wall  14 A side thereof. A rectangular through-hole  14 E, which serves as a first engaged portion and an engaging hole, is formed in the outer wall  14 A. The through-hole  14 E opposes the terminal portion of the USB connector  30  and extends longitudinally in the horizontal direction of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0021]    A guide member  32 , which guides mounting of the USB connector  28  of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  toward the USB connector  30 , is also attached to the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the guide member  32  is joined to the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22 , and is structured by a bottom wall portion  32 A, a side wall portion  32 B, a side wall portion  32 C and a top wall portion  32 D. The bottom wall portion  32 A extends from the lower side of the through-hole  14 E of the outer wall  14 A to the lower side of the USB connector  30 . The side wall portion  32 B stands from the bottom wall portion  32 A and extends from the left side in  FIG. 4  of the through-hole  14 E to the left side of the USB connector  30 . The side wall portion  32 C extends substantially in parallel with the side wall portion  32 B, from the right side in  FIG. 4  of the through-hole  14 E to the right side of the USB connector  30 . The top wall portion  32 D extends substantially in parallel with the bottom wall portion  32 A, from an upper portion of the side wall portion  32 B to an upper portion of the side wall portion  32 C. Step portions  32 E are formed at the outer wall  14 A sides of the side wall portions  32 B and  32 C, to make heights thereof lower. The top wall portion  32 D is joined to the USB connector  30  sides of the side wall portions  32 B and  32 C. 
         [0022]    The wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is a rectangular column-shaped member which is provided with the USB connector  28  at one axial direction end portion thereof. In a state in which the USB connector  28  is oriented to the inner side of the image-forming apparatus main body  12  and a long side of a sectional plane cut across an axial direction is horizontally oriented, the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is insertable/extractable at the through-hole  14 E. A spacing between the side wall portion  32 B and the side wall portion  32 C is slightly longer than the length of the long side of the axial direction sectional plane of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26 . Thus, the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  which is being inserted into the through-hole  14 E is guided to between the bottom wall portion  32 A and the top wall portion  32 D by the side wall portion  32 B and the side wall portion  32 C. 
         [0023]    Moreover, a spacing between the bottom wall portion  32 A and the top wall portion  32 D is slightly longer than the length of the short side of the axial direction sectional plane of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26 . Thus, the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is guided toward the USB connector  30  by the bottom wall portion  32 A and the top wall portion  32 D. 
         [0024]    Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 5 , at an end portion of the top wall portion  32 D at the USB connector  30  side thereof, a taper portion  32 F is formed to serve as a guide portion, which is angled downward in the drawing. The wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is guided by the taper portion  32 F to a position at which the USB connector  28  and the USB connector  30  are connected. In this manner, application of the USB connector  28  of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  to the USB connector  30  is facilitated. 
         [0025]    Here, when the USB connector  28  of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is to be mounted to the USB connector  30 , the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  can be pushed into the through-hole  14 E in one push, without the position of the USB connector  30  having to be found by manual searching. Therefore, after the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  has been inserted into the through-hole  14 E, the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  need not be firmly retained, and therefore a protrusion amount of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  from the outer wall  14 A can be reduced. Hence, if the image-forming apparatus  10  is to be disposed with the outer wall  14 A facing a wall side, the image-forming apparatus  10  can be disposed with the outer wall  14 A closer to the wall side by an amount corresponding to a reduction in the protrusion amount of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  from the outer wall  14 A. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the frame accommodation portion  18  is structured by a floor plate  12 A of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 , a side plate  12 B at the left side in  FIG. 2  of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 , and guide plates  34  and  36  which stand from the floor plate  12 A. The guide plate  34  is a rectangular plate member and extends longitudinally in a inserting/extracting direction of the frame  14 , substantially in parallel with the side plates  12 B and  12 C, between the side plate  12 B and the side plate  12 C at the right side in  FIG. 2  of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 . The guide plate  36  is a plate member which is bent in a substantial right-angle to extend both upward in  FIG. 2  from the guide plate  34  and toward a side of depth in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0027]    When the frame  14  is being inserted into the frame accommodation portion  18 , the frame  14  is guided relative to the left-right direction of  FIG. 2  by the side plate  12 B and the guide plate  34 , and is guided relative to the vertical direction of  FIG. 2  by the floor plate  12 A and the guide plate  36 . Then, when the frame  14  has been inserted to a specified position, a connector  40  mounted at an end portion at the depth side in  FIG. 2  of the controller circuit board  16  connects with a connector (not shown) which is disposed at the image-forming apparatus main body  12 . Further, when the frame  14  has been inserted to the specified position, the outer wall  14 A can be fixed to the image-forming apparatus main body  12  by screws  42 . 
         [0028]    A KENSINGTON LOCK  44 , which serves as a locking component, is connected to the image-forming apparatus main body  12  by a wire  47 . Long holes  46  and  48 , at which a lock anchoring portion  44 A of the KENSINGTON LOCK  44  can be inserted, are formed in the outer wall  14 A and the guide plate  34 , respectively. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the ‘T’-shaped lock anchoring portion  44 A of the KENSINGTON LOCK  44  is inserted through the long holes  46  and  48 , a key  49  is fitted into the KENSINGTON LOCK  44  and turned through 90°, and the lock anchoring portion  44 A is anchored at the long hole  48 . Hence, even if the screws  42  fixing the frame  14  to the image-forming apparatus main body  12  are removed, extraction (removal) of the frame  14  from the image-forming apparatus main body  12  is prevented by the KENSINGTON LOCK  44 , and theft of the unit  13  can be prevented. 
         [0030]    Now, as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cover  50 , which serves as a stopper member and a cover body, can be mounted at the through-hole  14 E. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the cover  50  is a tubular body (casing body) featuring a semi-circular floor portion, and is capable of accommodating the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  that has been connected to the USB connector  30 . At two end portions of a ‘U’-shaped side wall  50 A of the cover  50 , locking pawls  52  are formed which extend toward an opening portion  50 B of the cover  50  and serve as a first engaging member and an engaging pawl. Around the opening portion  50 B, a flange portion  50 C is formed. A plurality of bosses  50 D for positioning are formed at this flange portion  50 C. Correspondingly, a plurality of positioning holes  14 G into which the bosses  50 D can be fitted are formed in the outer wall  14 A in correspondence with the respective bosses  50 D. 
         [0031]    When the bosses  50 D are inserted into the positioning holes  14 G, the locking pawls  52  are inserted into the through-hole  14 E and the flange portion  50 C abuts against the outer wall  14 A. Correspondingly, the locking pawls  52  engage with hole walls of the through-hole  14 E. Hence, the cover  50  is anchored at the outer wall  14 A. The locking pawls  52  are capable of elastically deforming to inner sides of the through-hole  14 E. By elastically deforming the locking pawls  52  and extracting the locking pawls  52  from the through-hole  14 E, it is also possible to remove the cover  50  from the outer wall  14 A. 
         [0032]    Now, in the state in which the frame  14  is mounted at the specified position of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 , the locking pawls  52  are disposed at the inner side of the image-forming apparatus main body  12  relative to the outer wall  14 A, and thus the locking pawls  52  are inoperable. Therefore, in the state in which the frame  14  is mounted at the specified position of the image-forming apparatus main body  12  and the frame  14  is locked to the image-forming apparatus main body  12  by the locked KENSINGTON LOCK  44 , the cover  50  cannot be removed from the frame  14 , and the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  cannot be removed from the frame  14 . Thus, theft of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  can be prevented. 
         [0033]    Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Here, structures that are the same as in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will not be given. 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , in the present embodiment, the locking pawls  52 , which serve as a second engaging member and an engaging pawl, are formed to extend toward the USB connector  28  side from two end portions of a ‘U’-shaped wall face  26 A of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26 . The locking pawls  52  are inserted into the through-hole  14 E, which serves as a second engaged portion and an engaging hole, and the USB connector  28  connects with the USB connector  30 . Correspondingly, the locking pawls  52  engage with hole walls of the through-hole  14 E. Hence, the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  is anchored at the outer wall  14 A. The locking pawls  52  are capable of elastically deforming to the inner sides of the through-hole  14 E. Thus, it is also possible to elastically deform the locking pawls  52 , extract the locking pawls  52  from the through-hole  14 E, and remove the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  from the outer wall  14 A. 
         [0035]    Here, in the state in which the frame  14  is mounted at the specified position of the image-forming apparatus main body  12 , the locking pawls  52  are inoperable. Therefore, in the state in which the frame  14  is mounted at the specified position of the image-forming apparatus main body  12  and the frame  14  is locked to the image-forming apparatus main body  12  by the locked KENSINGTON LOCK  44 , the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  cannot be removed from the frame  14 . Thus, theft of the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26  can be prevented. 
         [0036]    Hereabove, the present invention has been described in detail for particular embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and it will be clear to those skilled in the art that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiments, the present invention is applied to the image-forming apparatus  10 , but the present invention could also be applied to other electronic apparatuses, such as notebook computers and the like. 
         [0037]    Moreover, in the present embodiments, the through-hole  14 E serving as the first engaged portion and the engaging hole is provided at the unit  13  and the locking pawls  52  serving as the first engaging member and the engaging pawl are provided at the cover  50 , which serves as the stopper member and the cover body. However, the first engaged portion/engaging hole could be provided at a stopper member/cover body and the first engaging member/engaging pawl could be provided at a unit. 
         [0038]    Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the through-hole  14 E serving as the second engaged portion and the engaging hole is provided at the unit  13  and the locking pawls  52  serving as the second engaging member and the engaging pawl are provided at the wireless LAN transmitter/receiver  26 , which serves as a mounted component. However, the second engaged portion/engaging hole could be provided at a mounted component and the second engaging member/engaging pawl could be provided at a unit. 
         [0039]    Further yet, for the present embodiments, it has been described that the unit  13  is provided with the frame  14  which is structured by the outer wall  14 A and the like, to which circuit boards such as the controller circuit board  16 , the HDD circuit board  20 , the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22  and the like are attached. However, circuit boards, such as the controller circuit board  16 , the HDD circuit board  20 , the wireless LAN interface circuit board  22  and the like, may be formed separately from the outer wall  14 A. In such a case, a stopper member could be provided at a circuit board and could be provided at the outer wall  14 A. 
         [0040]    The foregoing descriptions of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.