FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as an electrophotographic copying machine and a laser printer, which forms an image on a sheet of recording medium with the use of an electrophotographic process.

There has been known in the field of an image forming apparatus, a structural arrangement that places an image reading section for reading the image of an original, a post-processing section for binding sheets of recording medium after the formation of an image on the sheets, on the top side of the image forming section for forming an image. In the case of this structural arrangement, the frame of the image forming section supports the image reading section and post-processing section.

Further, there has been proposed to provide an image forming apparatus with supporting posts for supporting an image reading section, a boxy portion to which an electronic circuit board is attached, connectors which keep the supporting posts in connection with the boxy frame, side plates which make up a part of the frame of the image forming section, and to which supporting posts, boxy frame, and connectors, which make up parts of the frame of the image forming section, and an electronic circuit board, are attached (patent document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2011-008300), In the case of this structural arrangement, the boxy frame and supporting posts are integrated with each other to support the image reading section. Thus, the load generated by the weight of the image reading section itself is distributed between the side plates and boxy frame, making it possible to more effectively prevent the side plates from being deformed, compared to the structural arrangement in which the connectors are attached to only the side plates.

In the case of the structural arrangement disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2011-008300, the side plates have the first section for supporting a photosensitive member, and the second section which extends from the bottom of the first section at a preset angle. The boxy frame is in connection to the first section of the side plate, but, not to the second section. In the case of such a structural arrangement that the supporting post is connected to the boxy frame, but, not to the second section of the side plate, even though external forces, such as those that result from the impacts which an image forming apparatus is subjected during its shipment or in the like situation, are transmitted to the first section of the side plate through the boxy frame, they are not dispersed into the second section of the side plate. Therefore, it is possible for the first section of the side plate to be deformed by the transmitted external forces, which in turn disturbs the image forming apparatus in the positional relationship between its photosensitive member and other members, which in turn negatively affects an image forming apparatus in terms of image quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the primary object of the present invention, which relates to an image forming apparatus having a post-processing section and an image reading section on the top side of its image forming section, is to provide an image forming apparatus, the frame of which for supporting its photosensitive member does not deform.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus provided with an image forming portion configured to form an image by transferring a toner image formed on a surface of a photosensitive member to a sheet, and a post-processing portion, provided on a top side of said image forming portion, configured to perform a binding operation to the sheet on which the image is formed by said image forming portion, said image forming apparatus comprising: a first frame including a first section configured to support said photosensitive member and a second section bent from a bottom end of said first section; a second frame, to which an electronic circuit board is attached, supported by said second section of said first frame without being fixed to said first section of said first frame; and a connection member configured to be connected with said second frame and a third frame which is a frame of said post-processing portion.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).

