US-12625458-B2 - Spring mounting structure, sheet housing device, waste toner container, and image forming apparatus

US12625458B2US 12625458 B2US12625458 B2US 12625458B2US-12625458-B2

Abstract

A spring mounting structure includes a first structural member and a second structural member. The first structural member includes: a first abutting surface to abut on one end of a compression spring; and a temporary holding portion to temporarily hold the compression spring in an uncompressed state. The second structural member includes: a second abutting surface to abut on another end of the compression spring; and a tapered surface to, when the second structural member is assembled in a predetermined assembling direction intersecting a compression direction of the compression spring, guide the other end of the compression spring in the uncompressed state temporarily held by the temporary holding portion to the second abutting surface such that the compression spring is mounted in a compressed state between the first and second abutting surfaces.

Inventors

Kazuya Yamamoto

Assignees

Kazuya Yamamoto

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240306
Priority Date: 20230320

Claims (20)

1 . A spring mounting structure, comprising: a first structural member including, a first abutting surface configured to abut on a first end of a compression spring; and a protruding structure configured to receive the compression spring and temporarily hold the compression spring in an uncompressed state; and a second structural member including, a second abutting surface configured to abut on a second end of the compression spring; and a tapered surface, wherein the first structural member is configured to receive the second structural member at least partially within the first structural member in a first assembling direction and thereby assemble the second structural member and the first structural member, the first assembling direction intersects a compression direction of the compression spring, and in response to the first structural member and the second structural member being assembled, the tapered surface is configured to guide the second end of the compression spring in the uncompressed state temporarily held by the protruding structure to the second abutting surface such that the compression spring temporarily held by the protruding structure is in a compressed state between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface.
2 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , further comprising: wherein the first structural member is further configured to limit deformation of the compression spring in a direction orthogonal to the compression direction in response to the second structural member and the first structural member being assembled in the first assembling direction.
3 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , further comprising: restricting walls configured to restrict the second end of the compression spring from moving out of a first position on the second abutting surface.
4 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 3 , wherein the each restricting wall has a contact end configured to contact the second end of the compression spring in response to the second end moving from the tapered surface to the second abutting surface, and the contact end has a guide surface configured to guide the second end of the compression spring toward the first position.
5 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , wherein a boundary position between the tapered surface and the second abutting surface passes through a central axis of the compression spring from a start of assembly of the second structural member and the first structural member to a completion of the assembly.
6 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , wherein the compression spring has a winding spring structure in which a wire is spirally wound, and the protruding structure is a boss that is configured to receive the compression spring, the boss being configured to be inserted into the compression spring from the first end of the compression spring, and the boss having an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of the first end of the compression spring.
7 . A sheet housing device, comprising: a sheet housing configured to house a sheet; a handle mounted to the sheet housing, with the handle being movable between a housing position and a pull-out position; the spring mounting structure according to claim 1 ; the compression spring configured to bias the handle from the pull-out position toward the housing position; and a handle holder configured to hold the handle mounted to the sheet housing in the sheet housing, wherein the handle is the first structural member, and the handle holder is the second structural member.
8 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the spring mounting structure according to claim 1 .
9 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding structure includes a wall facing an outer face of the compression spring.
10 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protruding structure includes a boss facing an inner surface of the compression spring.
11 . A spring mounting structure, comprising: a first structural member including, a first abutting surface configured to abut on a first end of a compression spring; and a protruding structure configured to receive the compression spring and temporarily hold the compression spring in an uncompressed state; and a second structural member including, a second abutting surface configured to abut on a second end of the compression spring; and a tapered surface, wherein in response to the second structural member and the first structural member being assembled in a first assembling direction that intersects a compression direction of the compression spring, the tapered surface is configured to guide the second end of the compression spring in the uncompressed state temporarily held by the protruding structure to the second abutting surface such that the compression spring temporarily held by the protruding structure is in a compressed state between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface, the compression spring has a winding spring structure in which a wire is spirally wound, and the second abutting surface has a groove at a portion that a wire end surface of the second end of the compression spring passes in response to the wire end surface facing forward in a moving direction in which the second end of the compression spring moves from the tapered surface to the second abutting surface.
12 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 11 , wherein the protruding structure includes a wall facing an outer face of the compression spring.
13 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 11 , wherein the protruding structure includes a boss facing an inner surface of the compression spring.
14 . A sheet housing device, comprising: a sheet housing configured to house a sheet; a handle mounted to the sheet housing, with the handle being movable between a housing position and a pull-out position; the spring mounting structure according to claim 13 ; the compression spring configured to bias the handle from the pull-out position toward the housing position; and a handle holder configured to hold the handle mounted to the sheet housing in the sheet housing, wherein the handle is the first structural member, and the handle holder is the second structural member.
15 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the spring mounting structure according to claim 11 .
16 . A spring mounting structure, comprising: a first structural member including, a first abutting surface configured to abut on a first end of a compression spring; and a protruding structure configured to receive the compression spring and temporarily hold the compression spring in an uncompressed state; and a second structural member including, a second abutting surface configured to abut on a second end of the compression spring; and a tapered surface, wherein in response to the second structural member and the first structural member being assembled in a first assembling direction that intersects a compression direction of the compression spring, the tapered surface is configured to guide the second end of the compression spring in the uncompressed state temporarily held by the protruding structure to the second abutting surface such that the compression spring temporarily held by the protruding structure is in a compressed state between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface, wherein the first structural member or the second structural member has a viewing window to visually recognize the compression spring from an outside after a completion of assembly of the second structural member and the first structural member.
17 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 16 , wherein the protruding structure includes a wall facing an outer face of the compression spring.
18 . The spring mounting structure according to claim 16 , wherein the protruding structure includes a boss facing an inner surface of the compression spring.
19 . A sheet housing device, comprising: a sheet housing configured to house a sheet; a handle mounted to the sheet housing, with the handle being movable between a housing position and a pull-out position; the spring mounting structure according to claim 16 ; the compression spring configured to bias the handle from the pull-out position toward the housing position; and a handle holder configured to hold the handle mounted to the sheet housing in the sheet housing, wherein the handle is the first structural member, and the handle holder is the second structural member.
20 . An image forming apparatus, comprising the spring mounting structure according to claim 16 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This patent application is based on and claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-044244, filed on Mar. 20, 2023, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a spring mounting structure, a sheet housing device, a waste toner container, and an image forming apparatus. RELATED ART There is known a spring mounting structure for mounting a compression spring in a predetermined compressed state between a first abutting surface and a second abutting surface in a structural body in which a first structural member including the first abutting surface abutting on one end of the compression spring and a second structural member including the second abutting surface abutting on the other end of the compression spring are assembled in a predetermined assembling direction intersecting a compression direction of the compression spring. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-22361 discloses a structure, in which a terminal cover is slidably mounted to a battery mounting member to which a battery pack is mounted, of a charger for charging the battery pack which is used as a power source of a power tool. The terminal cover is slidable between a covering position where the terminal cover covers a connection terminal and an exposing position where the connection terminal is exposed to the outside, and is biased toward the covering position by a compression spring. When the compression spring is mounted, first, the compression spring is temporarily held in a compressed state between a biasing receiving member (first abutting surface) of the terminal cover (first structural member) and a temporary fixing rib (temporary holding portion) of the terminal cover. Then, the terminal cover in a state where the compression spring is temporarily held is assembled to the battery mounting member from a direction (predetermined assembling direction) orthogonal to (intersecting) the compression direction of the compression spring. According to the movement at the time of assembling, a support base end (the other end) of the compression spring abutting on the temporary fixing rib of the terminal cover comes into contact with a guide inclined surface (tapered surface) of the battery mounting member, moves along the guide inclined surface to be compressed, and separates from the temporary fixing rib of the terminal cover. Then, when the support base end of the compression spring gets over the guide inclined surface of the battery mounting member, the support base end reaches a spring receiving rib (second abutting surface) provided in the battery mounting member (second structural member). As a result, the compression spring is mounted in a predetermined compressed state between the biasing receiving member of the terminal cover and the spring receiving rib of the battery mounting member. SUMMARY According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a spring mounting structure includes a first structural member and a second structural member. The first structural member includes: a first abutting surface to abut on one end of a compression spring; and a temporary holding portion to temporarily hold the compression spring in an uncompressed state. The second structural member includes: a second abutting surface to abut on another end of the compression spring; and a tapered surface to, when the second structural member is assembled to the first structural member in a predetermined assembling direction intersecting a compression direction of the compression spring, guide said another end of the compression spring in the uncompressed state temporarily held by the temporary holding portion to the second abutting surface such that the compression spring temporarily held by the temporary holding portion is mounted in a compressed state between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a sheet housing device includes a sheet housing, a handle, the spring mounting structure, the compression spring, and a handle holder. The sheet housing houses a sheet. The handle is mounted to the sheet housing, with the handle being movable between a housing position and a pull-out position. The compression spring biases the handle from the pull-out position toward the housing position. The handle holder holds the handle mounted to the sheet housing in the sheet housing. The handle is the first structural member. The handle holder is the second structural member. According to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, a waste toner container includes a waste toner storage, an opening-and-closing member, the spring mounting structure, and the compression spring. The waste toner storage stores a waste toner. The opening-and-closing member opens and