Image forming apparatus includes metal and resin components with enhanced stability and functionality
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsAkira Yoshimura, Takuji Uesugi, Akitoshi Toyota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a first side plate, a second side plate, a first connecting member, the first connecting member being secured to the first side plate at a first securing portion and being secured to the second side plate at a second securing portion, and a frame, the frame being sandwiched between the first side plate and the second side plate and being secured to the first side plate and the second side plate. At least one of the first side plate and the first connecting member is deformed to form the first securing portion, and at least one of the second side plate and the first connecting member is deformed to form the second securing portion.
Claims12
An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a first side plate made of metal;
- a second side plate made of metal, the second side plate facing the first side plate in a first direction;
- a first connecting member made of metal, the first connecting member being secured to the first side plate at a first securing portion so that the first connecting member is not releasable from the first side plate, and the first connecting member being secured to the second side plate at a second securing portion so that the first connecting member is not releasable from the second side plate;
- a second connecting member secured to the first side plate and the second side plate so that the second connecting member is releasable from the first side plate and the second side plate;
- and
- a frame made of resin, the frame being sandwiched between the first side plate and the second side plate and being secured to the first side plate and the second side plate so that the frame is releasable from the first side plate and the second side plate,
- wherein in a state where the second connecting member is secured to the first side plate and the second side plate, detachment of the frame from the first side plate and the second side plate is restricted, and
- wherein the frame in a state where the first connecting member is secured to the first side plate and the second side plate is detachable from the first side plate and the second side plate by releasing the securing of the second connecting member and at least one of the first side plate and the second side plate and releasing the securing of the first side plate and the second side plate and the frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.