# US 7,466,938 B2 · Laser beam printer apparatus including motor cover

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- Number: US 7,466,938 B2
- Document ID: US7466938B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/344,991
- Filed: 2006-02-01
- Published: 2006-09-07
- Granted: 2008-12-16
- Earliest claimed: 2005-03-04
- Assignees: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masaaki Tokuzaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7466938B2

## CPC

- G03G 21/1604: {Arrangement or disposition of the entire apparatus}
- G03G 2221/1651: for connecting the different parts
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

A laser beam printer apparatus includes a frame body including side plates formed to support a toner cartridge from a lateral direction and a horizontal plate, a motor secured on the inside of the side plate and having at least a portion arranged above the horizontal plate, and a motor cover arranged below the motor. The horizontal plate has an opening under the motor. The motor cover has locking nails formed to be locked to an edge of the opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laser beam printer apparatus, comprising:
an exterior cover;
a frame body made of a metal arranged inside said exterior cover and including a side plate and a horizontal plate having an opening;
a motor arranged above said opening and secured on the inside of said side plate with a screw;
a cartridge frame body secured to said side plate for supporting a toner cartridge;
a motor cover arranged in said opening and locked to said horizontal plate;
two torsion springs arranged on a bottom surface of said motor cover and having elasticity to press inserted said toner cartridge from an upper side to a lower side;
a lead connected to said torsion springs; and
detection means for receiving a signal of said lead to detect insertion of said toner cartridge into said cartridge frame body; wherein
said motor cover includes a first locking nail formed in an end portion on one side thereof in a front-and-rear direction and a second locking nail formed in an end portion on the other side thereof in said front-and-rear direction,
each of said first locking nail and said second locking nail is formed to catch an edge of said opening,
each of said torsion springs is arranged to contact an identification electrode formed on said toner cartridge,
said torsion springs press said toner cartridge downward when said toner cartridge is inserted into said cartridge frame body,
said toner cartridge is inserted into said cartridge frame body to achieve contact between said torsion spring and said identification electrode to allow detection of insertion of said toner cartridge into said cartridge frame body,
said first locking nail and said second locking nail are formed to allow said motor cover to be removed from said opening,
said motor cover can be removed by removing said exterior cover, and
said screw securing said motor to said side plate can be removed by removing said motor cover.

### Claim 2

A laser beam printer apparatus, comprising:
a frame body including side plates formed to support a toner cartridge from a lateral direction and a horizontal plate for securing the side plates to each other;
a motor secured on the inside of said side plate and having at least a portion arranged above said horizontal plate;
a motor cover arranged below said motor;
a torsion spring arranged on the outside of said motor cover and having elasticity;
a lead connected to said torsion spring; and
detection means for receiving a signal of said lead to detect insertion of said toner cartridge into said frame body; wherein
said frame body is formed with a metal,
said horizontal plate has an opening under said motor,
said motor cover has a locking portion formed to be locked to an edge of said opening,
said torsion spring is arranged to press said toner cartridge downward when said toner cartridge is inserted into said frame body, and
said torsion spring is arranged to contact an identification electrode formed on said toner cartridge when said toner cartridge is inserted into said frame body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The laser beam printer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
said torsion spring includes a coil portion having a coiled form,
a contact portion formed with one extending end portion of said coil portion bent to have a convex shape when seen from a lateral direction, and
an abutting portion formed with the other extending end portion of said coil portion having a linear shape;
said contact portion is arranged to contact said identification electrode when said toner cartridge is inserted into said frame body;
said abutting portion is arranged to abut on said motor cover; and
said motor cover has a support portion having a rod-like shape and arranged inside said coil portion for supporting said coil portion,
a spring restraining portion for restraining a position of a tip of said abutting portion, and
a spring boss portion formed on a tip of said support portion for restraining a movement of said coil portion in an extending direction of said support portion.