# US 11,999,176 B2 · Image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,176 B2 - Document ID: US11999176B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/900,932 - Filed: 2022-09-01 - Published: 2023-05-11 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-10 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Naoki Yanokura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999176B2 ## CPC - B41J 29/02: Framework - B41J 29/13: Cases or covers - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract In image forming apparatus including: a frame; a front cover that is fixed to a front surface of the frame; and an upper cover includes a plurality of engaging portions that is engaged with the front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, the front cover includes a front-back regulating portion that is engaged with a first engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the front-back direction, an up-down regulating portion that is engaged with a second engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the up-down direction, and a right-left regulating portion that is engaged with a third engaging portion included in the upper cover and regulates a position of the upper cover in the right-left direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a frame; a front cover that is fixed to a front surface of the frame; and an upper cover that is disposed on an upper surface of the frame and includes a plurality of engaging portions that is engaged with the front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, wherein when a side on which the front cover is fixed is defined as a front side and an opposite side is defined as a back side, when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front side, one side in a width direction orthogonal to a front-back direction is defined as a right side and the other side is defined as a left side, and when an upward direction in a vertical direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and a right-left direction is defined as an upper side and a downward direction is defined as a lower side, the front cover includes: a front-back regulating portion that is engaged with a first engaging portion included in the upper cover and abuts on a front side and a back side of the first engaging portion in the front-back direction to regulate a position of the upper cover in the front-back direction; an up-down regulating portion that is engaged with a second engaging portion included in the upper cover and abuts on an upper side and a lower side of the second engaging portion in an up-down direction to regulate a position of the upper cover in the up-down direction; and a right-left regulating portion that is engaged with a third engaging portion included in the upper cover and abuts on a left side and a right side of the third engaging portion in the right-left direction to regulate a position of the upper cover in the right-left direction, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion included in the upper cover are respectively engaged with the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion of the front cover fixed to the front side of the frame to regulate the position of the upper cover in the front-back direction, the up-down direction, and the right-left direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion are provided side by side in the right-left direction at an upper side end portion of the front cover, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion are provided side by side in the right-left direction at the front side end portion of the upper cover to correspond to the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion, respectively. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the right-left regulating portion is provided at a center in the right-left direction, and the up-down regulating portion and the front-back regulating portion are provided sequentially on one side and the other side in the right-left direction of the right-left regulating portion, and two of the first engaging portions, two of the second engaging portions, and one of the third engaging portion are provided at positions corresponding to two of the front-back regulating portions, two of the up-down regulating portions, and one of the right-left regulating portion provided in the front cover. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the front cover, two of the front-back regulating portions, two of the up-down regulating portions, and one of the right-left regulating portion are provided in order of the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, the right-left regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the front-back regulating portion from one side in the right-left direction, and in the upper cover, two of the first engaging portions, two of the second engaging portions, and one of the third engaging portion are provided in order of the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the first engaging portion from one side in the right-left direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the front cover, two of the front-back regulating portions, two of the up-down regulating portions, and one of the right-left regulating portion are provided in order of the up-down regulating portion, the front-back regulating portion, the right-left regulating portion, the front-back regulating portion, and the up-down regulating portion from one side in the right-left direction, and in the upper cover, two of the first engaging portions, two of the second engaging portions, and one of the third engaging portion are provided in order of the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the third engaging portion, and the first engaging portion, and the second engaging portion from one side in the right-left direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front cover includes an engaging portion engaged with a positioning portion of the frame, and a fastening portion fastened to the frame with a screw. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the image forming apparatus, an image reading unit that reads image information is disposed in an upper portion of the upper cover. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front cover is provided in a manner that a multi-cover can be opened and closed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a side surface cover disposed on a left side surface or a right side surface of the frame and including a plurality of engaging portions engaged with the front cover fixed to a front surface of the frame, wherein the front cover includes: a front-back regulating portion that is engaged with a first engaging portion included in the side surface cover and abuts on a front side and a back side of the first engaging portion in the front-back direction to regulate a position of the side surface cover in the front-back direction; an up-down regulating portion that is engaged with a second engaging portion included in the side surface cover and abuts on an upper side and a lower side of the second engaging portion in the up-down direction to regulate a position of the side surface cover in the up-down direction; and a right-left regulating portion that is engaged with a third engaging portion included in the side surface cover and abuts on a left side and a right side of the third engaging portion in a right-left direction to regulate a position of the side surface cover in the right-left direction, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion included in the side surface cover are respectively engaged with the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion of the front cover fixed to the front side of the frame to regulate the position of the side surface cover in the front-back direction, the up-down direction, and the right-left direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion are provided side by side in the up-down direction at a left side or right side end portion of the front cover, and the first engaging portion, the second engaging portion, and the third engaging portion are provided side by side in the up-down direction at the front side end portion of the side surface cover to correspond to the front-back regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion, respectively. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein two of the right-left regulating portions, two of the front-back regulating portions, and one of the up-down regulating portion are provided side by side in the up-down direction at the left side or right side end portion of the front cover, and two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portion are provided at positions corresponding to two of the right-left regulating portions, two of the front-back regulating portions, and one of the up-down direction provided in the front cover. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the front cover, two of the right-left regulating portions, two of the front-back regulating portions, and one of the up-down regulating portion are provided in order of the right-left regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, the front-back regulating portion, the front-back regulating portion, and the right-left regulating portion from the upper side in the up-down direction, and in the side surface cover of the left side surface, two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portion are provided in order of the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the first engaging portion, and the third engaging portion from the upper side in the up-down direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the front cover, two of the right-left regulating portions, two of the front-back regulating portions, and one of the up-down regulating portion are provided in order of the right-left regulating portion, the up-down regulating portion, the front-back regulating portion, the right-left regulating portion, and the front-back regulating portion from the upper side in the up-down direction, and in the side surface cover of the right side surface, two of the third engaging portions, two of the first engaging portions, and one of the second engaging portion are provided in order of the third engaging portion, the second engaging portion, the first engaging portion, the third engaging portion, and the first engaging portion from the upper side in the up-down direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the front cover includes an engaging portion engaged with a positioning portion of the frame, and a fastening portion fastened to the frame with a screw. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the image forming apparatus, an image reading unit that reads image information is disposed in an upper portion of the upper cover. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the front cover is provided in a manner that a multi-cover can be opened and closed.