An image forming apparatus includes a substrate for controlling a mechanical member such as a motor and a solenoid, a substrate for controlling the system of the entire apparatus, and others. These substrates are generally fixed to the back surface of an apparatus housing with screws or the like in consideration of easiness of attachment and detachment during maintenance, easiness of addition of an optional substrate, and easiness of cooling with external air.
Meanwhile, a maintenance target such as a fan and a motor targeted for maintenance is provided to the back surface of the apparatus housing to which a substrate is fixed. The substrate is fixed to the back surface of the apparatus housing so as to cover the maintenance target. Accordingly, in a conventional image forming apparatus, the substrate should be removed from the apparatus housing for maintenance of the maintenance target, resulting in a problem of difficulty in making access to the maintenance target.
In an image forming apparatus to cope with this problem, a substrate case is pivotably provided to the back surface of the apparatus housing, and a substrate is fixed to the substrate case. In this apparatus, a supporting part is provided at a right or left edge portion of the substrate case, and the supporting part supports the substrate case in a manner that allows the substrate case to pivot relative to the apparatus housing. When a maintenance target provided on the back surface of the apparatus housing is accessed, the substrate case is caused to pivot on the supporting part in a direction in which the substrate case is separated away from the apparatus housing, thereby allowing access to the maintenance target without the need of removing the substrate case from the apparatus housing.
However, the structure of this apparatus is generally such that cables connecting electrical components housed in the apparatus housing and the substrate pass through positions near the supporting part. In this case, noise is generated easily in a signal as a result of proximity of the respective cables, resulting in a problem in that the countermeasure for noise entails costs.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds