JP2009214900A - Packing member - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packing member can be reduced in size and packing a device bodoes with different shapes. <P>SOLUTION: The packing member 31 for packing the device body 11 include a cushioning material 32 having a recessed part 35 engaging an end part 23 of the device body 11 and an elastic sheet material 33 fixed on the cushioning material 32 so as to cover at least a part of the recessed part 35, and the end part 23 of the device body 11 is engaged with the recessed part 35 of the cushioning material 32 through the sheet material 33. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a packing member for packing an apparatus main body such as a process unit of an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to prevent damage to an apparatus main body due to an impact such as dropping during transportation, a packaging member that holds the apparatus main body using a cushion material or a cushioning material has been proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a packaging member that cushions the impact by sinking a cushion material that holds the bottom of the device main body.

  However, the packaging member described in Patent Document 1 has a block-shaped cushion material, and it is necessary to secure a volume for the cushion material to sink in the packaging member. There was a problem.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional packing member 55 that is accommodated in the exterior body 54 by engaging the buffer material 53 with the end portion 52 of the process unit 51 when the apparatus main body such as the process unit 51 is transported. During transportation to the process unit 51 is dropped, when subjected to an impact force F _S due to a collision or the like, are compressed cushioning material 53, the repulsive force F11 and F12 are to act on the process unit 51, to absorb the impact force F _S The process unit 51 is held. Therefore, in order to secure the compression amount of the buffer material 53, it is necessary to take a sufficient buffer distance S11. As a result, there is a problem that the packaging member 55 is enlarged. Here, the buffering distance S11 refers to the distance from the end 52 of the process unit 51 to the end 56 that contacts the exterior body 54 of the buffer 53.

  Further, in the packing member 55, since only the buffer material 53 holds the process unit 51, it is necessary to design the buffer material 53 according to the shape of the process unit 51. There was a problem that it could not be packed.

JP 2007-69937 A

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said conventional problem, and makes it a subject to provide the packing member which can be reduced in size and can pack the apparatus main body from which a shape differs.

  In the packing member for packing the device main body, a cushioning material having a recess that engages with an end of the device main body, and an elastic sheet material fixed to the buffer material so as to cover at least a part of the recess. The end of the device main body is engaged with the recess of the cushioning material via the sheet material.

  In the packaging member according to the present invention, when the end portion of the device main body is engaged with the recess of the cushioning material via the sheet material, the elastic sheet material extends along the shape of the end portion of the device main body and ends. Therefore, it is possible to absorb an impact received by a drop or the like during transportation by the elasticity of the sheet material and the buffer material.

  It is preferable that the packaging member includes an exterior body that accommodates the device main body in a state in which an end portion of the device main body is engaged with the recess of the cushioning material via the sheet material.

  As one specific means, the recess of the cushioning material includes a first engagement recess that engages with a shaft protruding from an end of the device main body, and a second engagement that engages with an end of the device main body. And a recess.

  It is preferable that the first engaging recess penetrates the buffer material.

  Further, it is preferable that the device main body is a process unit of an image forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention, when the end portion of the device main body is engaged with the recess of the cushioning material via the sheet material, the elastic sheet material extends along the shape of the end portion of the device main body and covers the end portion. At the same time, since the concave portion of the cushioning material is engaged with the end portion of the device main body, the device main body is held, so that an impact such as a drop during transportation can be divided and absorbed into the buffer material and the sheet material. Therefore, compared with the case where the apparatus main body is held only by the buffer material, the buffer distance of the buffer material for absorbing the impact can be shortened, so that the buffer material and the packing member can be reduced in size.

  In addition, the concave portion of the cushioning material engages with the end portion of the device main body to hold the device main body, and the sheet material extends to cover the end portion of the device main body. Even when the cushioning material partially holds the end portion, the holding strength of the device main body can be ensured. Therefore, it is not necessary to design the cushioning material according to the shape of the device main body to be packed, and a plurality of types of device main bodies having different shapes can be packed with a set of cushioning material and sheet material. Can be shared.

  Furthermore, since the recessed portion of the cushioning material includes the first engaging recessed portion and the second engaging recessed portion, the surface area with which the recessed portion of the cushioning material engages with the device main body is increased, and the holding strength of the device main body is increased. Can be increased.

  And since the 1st engagement recessed part has penetrated the shock absorbing material, even if the shock absorbing material which hold | maintains the edge part of an apparatus main body by the impact of fall etc. in the middle of transportation is compressed in a longitudinal direction, it protrudes from an edge part. Since the top of the shaft does not come into contact with the cushioning material, it is possible to prevent the shaft of the device main body from shifting.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a state in which a process unit 11, which is an apparatus main body according to an embodiment of the present invention, is packed with a packing member 31.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the process unit 11 includes a casing 13, a photosensitive member 14, a developing roller 16 that supplies toner to the surface of the photosensitive member 14, a first screw roller 17 that supplies toner to the developing roller 16, A second screw roller 18 that supplies toner to the first screw roller 17 is accommodated.

  The packaging member 31 includes a cushioning material 32 that engages with the end 23 of the process unit 11, a sheet material 33 that is fixed to the cushioning material 32, and an exterior body 34 that houses the entire process unit 11.

  The buffer material 32 engages with the end portion 23 of the process unit 11 and the first engagement recess portion 35 a having a small inner diameter that engages with the shaft 21 of the developing roller 16 protruding from the end portion 23 of the process unit 11. A second engaging recess 35b. The first engaging recess 35a penetrates the cushioning material 32. Further, a groove 36 having a square cross section extends on the outer peripheral surface of the cushioning material 32.

  Examples of the material of the cushioning material 32 include foamed PS (polystyrene), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), or a combination thereof. Examples of the material using paper include cardboard and pulp mold.

  The sheet material 33 has a thickness of 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm, and is formed of a rubber-based flexible resin sheet, such as polyethylene or silicon rubber. Further, the entire shape of the sheet material 33 is, for example, a shape like an inflated balloon, and the opening end portion of the sheet material 33 is fixed by being hooked on the groove 36 of the cushioning material 32 and covers the recess 35.

  The exterior body 34 is a known thin plate-like exterior body that covers the entire process unit 11, and is formed of cardboard, cardboard, or the like.

  Next, the packing procedure using the packing member 31 having the above configuration and the operation of the packing member 31 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, when the end 23 of the process unit 11 is inserted into the cushioning material 32, for example, the shaft 21 of the developing roller 16 contacts the sheet material 33 first. When inserted subsequently, the sheet material 33 expands along the shape of the shaft 21 of the developing roller 16 as shown in FIG. At this time, a repulsive force F 0 due to the elasticity of the sheet material 33 acts on the shaft 21. When further inserted, the sheet material 33 expands along the shape of the shaft 21 and the end 23 of the developing roller 16 as shown in FIG. At this time, a repulsive force F <b> 1 due to the elasticity of the sheet material 33 acts on the shaft 21. The shaft 21 of the developing roller 16 engages with the first engagement recess 35 a of the buffer material 32, and the end 23 of the process unit 11 engages with the second engagement recess 35 b of the buffer material 32, whereby the process unit 11. Is held by the buffer material 32. As described above, when the end 23 of the process unit 11 is engaged with the recess 35 of the cushioning material 32 through the sheet material 33, the elastic sheet material 33 becomes in the shape of the shaft 21 and the end 23 of the process unit 11. It can extend along and cover the shaft 21 and the end 23. In this state, the process unit 11 and the buffer material 32 are accommodated in the exterior body 34.

When the process unit 11 and the buffer material 32 are accommodated in the exterior body 34 and transported, the shaft 21 of the developing roller 16 always receives a repulsive force F1 from the sheet material 33 as shown in FIG. Also, during transportation to the process unit 11 is falling, collision, receives an impact force F _S due to contact or the like, cushioning material 32 is compressed, the process unit 11, a repulsive force F2 from the side of the first engagement recess 35a The repulsive force F3 is received from the side surface of the second engaging recess 35b. By receiving these repulsive forces F1 to F3, the process unit 11 to absorb the impact force F _S is maintained.

In this way, even when an impact such as a drop is received during transportation, the impact force F _S can be absorbed by being divided into the repulsive force F1 from the sheet material 33 and the repulsive forces F2 and F3 from the buffer material 32. . Therefore, as compared with the case of holding the processing unit 11 only by the cushioning material 32, the amount of compression of cushioning material 32 for absorbing the impact force F _S is reduced, to shorten the buffering distance S1 shown in FIG. 1 As a result, the buffer material 32 and the packing member 31 can be reduced in size. Specifically, the buffering distance S11 shown in FIG. 6 is 6.8 cm, whereas the buffering distance S1 of the packaging member 31 according to the present invention is 5.5 cm. Therefore, 1.3 cm can be reduced in size. it can.

  Further, even if the shock absorbing material 32 that holds the end 23 of the process unit 11 is compressed in the longitudinal direction due to an impact such as a drop during transportation, the first engaging recess 35a penetrates the shock absorbing material 32. It is possible to prevent the top 21a of the shaft 21 protruding from the end 23 from coming into contact with the buffer material 32 and the shaft 21 of the process unit 11 from being displaced.

  Furthermore, since the exterior unit 34 accommodates the process unit 11 and the cushioning material 32 that holds the process unit 11, the process unit 11 is directly contacted with other parts and damaged by an impact such as a drop during transportation. Can be prevented.

  Next, since the concave portion 35 of the cushioning material 32 includes the first engaging concave portion 35a and the second engaging concave portion 35b, the surface area where the concave portion 35 of the cushioning material 32 engages with the process unit 11 is increased. The holding strength of the process unit 11 can be increased.

  When the cushioning material 32 is removed from the process unit 11 after the process unit 11 is unpacked from the packing member 31, the repulsive force F <b> 1 due to elasticity always acts on the process unit 11 from the sheet material 33. Is easy.

  In the embodiment, the recess 35 of the cushioning material 32 holds the process unit 11 by engaging with the shaft 21 and the end 23 of the process unit 11, and the sheet material 33 extends to extend the shaft 21 of the process unit 11. And the end portion 23 are covered. However, the configuration is not limited to the above as long as the holding strength of the process unit 11 can be ensured. For example, the sheet material 33 covers the entire surface of the shaft 21 and the end portion 23, and the cushioning material 32 partially covers the end portion 23. The structure which engages with may be sufficient. Thereby, it is not necessary to design the buffer material 32 according to the shape of the process unit 11 to be packed, and a plurality of types of process units 11 having different shapes are packed by a set of the buffer material 32 and the sheet material 33. The packing member 31 can be shared. Further, although the sheet material 33 is fixed to the buffer material 32 so as to cover the entire recess 35 of the buffer material 32, the process unit 11 is held by the buffer material 32 via the sheet material 33. As long as the holding strength can be ensured, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the same effect can be obtained even if the sheet material 33 is fixed to the cushioning material 32 so as to cover a part of the recess 35.

It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the packaging member which concerns on embodiment of this invention engaged with the edge part of the process unit. It is a perspective view of the process unit and buffer material concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a state before the process unit of FIG. 1 is inserted into the buffer material. FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the process unit of FIG. 1 is inserted into the buffer material through the sheet material. FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the process unit of FIG. 1 is engaged with the cushioning material via the sheet material and the exterior body. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which received the impact and compressed, for example by the packaging member engaged with the edge part of the process unit of FIG. 1 dropping in the middle of transportation. It is a perspective view which shows the shock absorbing material and sheet material which concern on other embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the conventional packing member engaged with the process unit.

Explanation of symbols

11 Process unit (equipment main unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Developing roller shaft 23 End of process unit 31 Packing member 32 Buffer material 33 Sheet material 34 Exterior body 35 Recess 35a First engagement recess 35b Second engagement recess

Claims (5)

In the packaging material that packs the device body,
A cushioning material having a recess to engage with an end of the device body;
An elastic sheet material fixed to the cushioning material so as to cover at least a part of the recess,
The packaging member, wherein an end portion of the device main body is engaged with a concave portion of the cushioning material via the sheet material.   2. The packaging member according to claim 1, further comprising an exterior body that accommodates the device main body in a state where an end portion of the device main body is engaged with a concave portion of the cushioning material via the sheet material. The packaging member as described in. The recess of the cushioning material is
A first engaging recess that engages a shaft protruding from an end of the device body;
A second engagement recess that engages with an end of the device body;
The packaging member according to claim 1, further comprising:   The packaging member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first engaging recess penetrates the cushioning material.   The packaging member according to claim 1, wherein the device main body is a process unit of an image forming apparatus.

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