JP2001343791A - Image-forming machine equipped with document feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To exactly position a document feeder 10 at a prescribed closing position. SOLUTION: A copying machine 100 is equipped with a document feeder 10, attached to the trailing end of a copying machine body 102 so as to open/ close via a hinge body 11. A locking member 200 is disposed near an image read position P on the upper surface of the front end of the main body 102, and a member to be locked 300 is disposed at a position, corresponding to the member 200 on the lower surface of the front end of the feeder 10. When the feeder 10 is swung shut to the closing position, the member 300 of the feeder 10 is locked detachably on the member 200 of the body 102, and the feeder 10 is positioned at the closing position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a closed position for covering an upper surface of an image forming machine main body via hinge means at a rear end portion of the image forming machine main body in an image forming machine such as an electrostatic copying machine, a laser printer, a facsimile or the like. And a document transport device pivotally mounted between an open position for opening the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body, and a partial area of the document transport path of the document transport device is a part of the upper surface of the image forming machine main body. The present invention relates to an image forming machine provided with a document feeder, which is formed in cooperation with an area and defines an image reading position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming machine such as an electrostatic copying machine is provided with a document conveying device. The document feeder is mounted at the rear end of the copying machine main body via a hinge between a closed position covering the upper surface of the copying machine main body and an open position opening the upper surface of the copying machine main body. The hinge means is composed of a pair of hinge bodies mounted on the rear end of the document feeder at an interval in the left-right direction, and each of the hinge bodies has a mounting leg. On the other hand, a pair of leg insertion holes are provided at the rear end of the copying machine main body at intervals in the left-right direction corresponding to each of the hinge bodies. The document conveying device is mounted on the copying machine main body by removably inserting each leg of the hinge body into the corresponding leg inserting hole of the copying machine main body. A switch for detecting the open / close state of the document feeder is provided in the rear end of the copying machine main body. The switch is turned ON at a position corresponding to the switch at the rear end of the document feeder.
An actuator for turning off is provided.

[0003] One typical example of a relatively simple type document feeder is a pickup roller, a separation roller pair disposed downstream of the pickup roller, and a registration roller pair disposed downstream of the separation roller pair. And a discharge roller pair disposed downstream of the pair of registration rollers. The pickup roller, the separation roller pair, the registration roller pair, and the discharge roller pair are arranged in that order from upstream to downstream along the document conveyance path of the document conveyance device. A partial area of the document transport path of the document transport apparatus is formed in cooperation with a partial area of the upper surface of the copying machine main body and defines an image reading position. A registration roller pair is arranged upstream of the image reading position, and a discharge roller pair is arranged downstream of the image reading position. The document conveying path is curved so as to be substantially inverted between the separation roller pair and the registration roller pair. The image reading position includes a glass plate having a horizontal upper surface, and a guide member arranged to face the glass plate with a predetermined gap. The glass plate is arranged so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the copier main body at a constant width at an image reading position at the left end of the copier main body. The guide member is disposed at a position corresponding to the glass plate of the document feeder so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the document feeder. The upper surface of the glass plate defines the lower surface of the document transport path at the image reading position, and the lower surface of the guide member defines the upper surface of the document transport path at the image reading position.
The predetermined gap between the glass plate and the guide member is defined so that a document having at least a thickness within a predetermined range can pass through the image reading position while being held in a substantially horizontal posture. A document feed table is provided on an extension of the upstream end of the document feed path, and a document discharge tray is provided on an extension of the downstream end of the document feed path.

When one set of, for example, a plurality of sheets is set on a document feed table and a copy start key provided in a copying machine body is turned on, the document set on the document feed table is Each sheet is sequentially conveyed one by one through a document conveying path, and all the sheets are discharged onto a document discharge tray. The images of the originals conveyed one by one by the original conveying device are read by image reading means provided in the copying machine main body while passing through the image reading position, and are stored as image information by the storage device. The image information stored by the storage device is transferred and fixed to the sheet by the operation of the image forming means of the copying machine main body, which is performed in parallel with the above-described transport operation of the document transport device, and the image of the document is copied. .

[0005]

In the above copying machine,
The mounting position relationship between the document feeder and the copying machine main body is determined by the respective legs of the hinge body provided at the rear end of the document feeder and the legs provided at the corresponding rear end of the copying machine main body. It is configured to be defined only by the part insertion holes. For this reason, when the document feeder is closed, it is not positioned at a predetermined closed position due to an assembly error between each leg of the hinge body and a leg insertion hole or a variation in matching. There is a possibility that the image reading position of the transport device is shifted in the horizontal direction with respect to the image reading position of the copying machine body. When this shift occurs, an image reading line that should be relatively orthogonal to the document conveyance direction at the image reading position is relatively inclined when viewed from a plane, and the image is distorted such as a rhombus. And stable image quality cannot be guaranteed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel document feeder which can always be accurately positioned at a predetermined closed position when the document feeder is closed, and ensures stable image quality.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming machine provided with a document conveying device.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a closed position for covering the upper surface of the image forming machine main body via a hinge means at the rear end of the image forming machine main body and an open position for opening the upper surface of the image forming machine main body. A document feeder mounted so as to be rotatable between the document feeder and a part of a document feed path of the document feeder is formed in cooperation with a part of the upper surface of the image forming machine main body and an image is formed. In an image forming apparatus provided with a document conveying device that defines a reading position, one of a locking unit and a locked unit is disposed near an image reading position on an upper surface of a front end portion of the image forming machine main body. The other of the locking means or the locked means is disposed at a position corresponding to one of the locking means or the locked means on the lower surface of the front end of the document transporting apparatus, Is rotated to the closed position via the hinge means, The other of the locking means or the locked means in the apparatus is releasably locked to one of the locking means or the locked means in the image forming apparatus main body, and the document feeder is positioned at the closed position. And an image forming machine provided with the document conveying device.

The locking means comprises a locking member having a locking hole, and the locked means comprises a locked rod having a locked rod which can be removably fitted and locked in the locking hole of the locking member. It is preferable that it is constituted by a locking member. The locking hole of the locking member is formed of a through hole, and the locked rod of the locked member projects axially inward through the locking hole in a state where the document conveying device is positioned at the closed position. The length of the document conveying device or the image forming apparatus main body in which the locking member is provided, and the position of the document conveying device in the axial direction inside the locking hole of the locking member is set to the open / close state of the document feeding device. Preferably, a switch means for detecting is provided, and the switch means is turned on and off by a locked rod of a locked member.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a copying machine, which is an image forming machine provided with a document feeder, constructed according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 and 3, a copying machine 1 showing only a part of the copying machine
Reference numeral 00 includes a copying machine main body 102 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. An original conveying device 10 is mounted on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 102. The document feeder 10 is rotatably mounted at the rear end of the copier main body 102 between a closed position for covering the upper surface of the copier main body 102 via a hinge means and an open position for opening the upper surface of the copier main body 102. Have been. The hinge means includes a pair of hinge bodies 1 attached to the rear end of the document feeder 10 at intervals in the left-right direction when the document feeder 10 is viewed from the front.
1 and each of the hinge bodies 11 is a leg 1 for mounting.
1a. On the other hand, a pair of leg insertion holes 103 are provided at the rear end of the copying machine main body 102 at intervals in the left-right direction when the copying machine main body 102 is viewed from the front, corresponding to each of the hinge bodies 11. Has been established. The document feeder 10 includes:
Each leg 11a of the hinge body 11 is
Of the copier 102 by being removably inserted into the corresponding leg insertion holes 103. The image forming means, the image reading device, and other various devices and devices provided in the copying machine main body 102 may use a known configuration, and do not form a feature of the present invention. Therefore, the description is omitted.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG.
0 is a pickup roller 20, a pair of separation roller pairs 30 disposed downstream of the pickup roller 20,
A registration roller pair 40 is disposed downstream of the separation roller pair 30, and a discharge roller pair 50 is disposed downstream of the registration roller pair 40. The pickup roller 20, the separation roller pair 30, the registration roller pair 40, and the discharge roller pair 50 are connected to the document conveying path 12 of the document conveying device 10.
Are arranged in that order from upstream to downstream. A document feed table 13 is provided on the extension of the upstream end of the document conveyance path 12, and a document discharge tray 14 is provided on an extension of the downstream end of the document conveyance path 12. The document discharge tray 14 is disposed vertically below the document feed table 13. Part of the area of the document transport path 12 is
The image reading position P is formed in cooperation with a partial area on the upper surface of the image 02. A registration roller pair 40 is disposed upstream of the image reading position P, and a discharge roller pair 50 is disposed downstream of the image reading position P. The document conveying path 12 is curved so as to be substantially reversed between the separation roller pair 20 and the image reading position P.

The separation roller pair 30 includes a driven roller (feed roller) 30a and a separation roller 30b. The separation roller 30b is drivingly connected to a paper feed drive unit (not shown) including a paper feed motor composed of an electric motor via a torque limiter (not shown). In order to prevent double feeding of originals after the first eye, a reversing torque is applied. The pickup roller 20 is drivingly connected to a driven roller 30a of the separation roller pair 30 via a toothed pulley and a toothed belt.
Of the driven roller 30a. The registration roller pair 40 includes a driven roller 40a and a driven roller 40b. Discharge roller pair 5
Reference numeral 0 denotes a driven roller 50a and a driven roller 50b. The document conveying device 10 includes an opening / closing cover body 15.
Are supported so as to be openable and closable about the turning shaft 15a as a turning center. Pickup roller 20, and separation roller pair 30
The driven roller 30a is rotatably supported by the opening / closing cover body 15 via respective support shafts. The separation roller 30b is rotatably supported between a pair of support walls (not shown) provided on a main frame (not shown) of the document feeder 10 via respective support shafts. The registration roller pair 40 and the discharge roller pair 50 are rotatably supported via a support shaft between a front wall and a rear wall (not shown) provided on a main frame (not shown) of the document feeder 10. In the state where the opening / closing cover body 15 is closed (the state shown in FIG. 2), the driven roller 3 of the separation roller pair 30
0a is pressed against the separation roller 30b and the opening / closing cover body 15 is opened (not shown).
The 0 driven roller 30a is separated upward from the separation roller 30b, and the upper part of the document conveying path 12 is opened.

A set document pressing plate 16 is disposed below the pickup roller 20 in the vertical direction. The set document pressing plate 16 is a non-operating position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2 by a sheet feeding solenoid (not shown) and an operating position for pressing the leading end of the document set on the document feeding table 13 toward the pickup roller 20. (A position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Pickup roller 2
A document stop wall 17 that defines the position of the leading edge of a document set on the document feed table 13 is disposed immediately downstream of the document feed table 13. A paper feed sensor S that can detect the leading edge or the trailing edge of the document is provided downstream of the separation roller pair 30. The paper feed sensor S is used as a sensor for detecting the leading edge of the document, or alternatively, as a separation roller pair 30.
Can function as sensors for detecting the trailing edge of the document that has exited from the nip portion. The paper feed sensor S is constituted by an optical reflection type sensor. Separation roller pair 3
0 driven roller 30a is drivingly connected to the paper feed driving means through its support shaft.
And driven rollers 40a and 50a of the discharge roller pair 50
Are respectively connected via a support shaft to a transport drive unit (not shown) including a transport motor composed of an electric motor.

A glass plate 104 is provided so as to extend horizontally in a relatively large area on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 102, and a document pressing plate 19 is provided in a region of the document feeder 10 corresponding to the glass plate 104. It is arranged. For example, when reading an image of a document such as a book, the document feeder 10 is opened and the document surface is brought into contact with the glass plate 104. In this case, the optical system of the image reading device moves to read an image on the document. At the image reading position P of the document transport path 12, a glass plate 106 having a horizontal upper surface and a guide member 60 arranged to face the glass plate 106 with a predetermined gap therebetween are provided. The glass plate 106 is arranged so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the copier main body 102 with a constant width at the image reading position P at the left end of the copier main body 102. The guide member 60 is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction of the document feeder 10 at a position corresponding to the glass plate 106 of the document feeder 10. A predetermined gap is formed between the horizontal lower surface of the guide member 60 and the horizontal upper surface of the glass plate 106. Glass plate 106
Defines the lower surface of the document transport path 12 at the image reading position P, and the lower surface of the guide member 60 defines the upper surface of the document transport path 12 at the image reading position P. Therefore, a partial area of the document conveying path 12 is formed in cooperation with a partial area on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 102 (other partial area other than the area where the glass plate 104 is provided), and The image reading position P is defined. Glass plate 106 and guide member 60
Is defined so that a document having a thickness within at least a predetermined range can pass through the image reading position P while being held in a substantially horizontal posture.

As will be described later, when the document feeder 10 is positioned at the closed position, a document is set on the document feed table 13 and a copy start key (not shown) provided on the copier main body 102 is turned on. Then, the set original pressing member 16 is forced by the solenoid (not shown) toward the operation position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The document set on the document feed table 13 is pressed against the pickup roller 20 with a predetermined pressure. The separation roller pair 30
Is driven to rotate, so that the pickup roller 20 is simultaneously operated. A plurality of originals set on the original feed table 13 are usually picked up by the pickup roller 20 from the upper side,
Sent to Of the plurality of originals sent to the separation roller pair 30, only the uppermost one is separated by the separation roller pair 30, and is conveyed toward the registration roller pair 40. After the original is conveyed by a predetermined amount after the leading edge of the original is detected by the paper feed sensor S, the rotation of the driven roller 30a of the separation roller pair 30 and the pickup roller 20 is stopped by stopping the operation of the paper feed driving unit. , The primary paper feed ends. The document is stopped with its leading end pressed against the nip portion of the registration roller pair 40 and the leading end formed with a bend.

After a lapse of a predetermined time from the end of the primary paper feeding as described above, the driven roller 44a of the pair of registration rollers 40 and the driven roller 50a of the pair of discharge rollers 50 are driven by the operation of the transport driving means (not shown). It is driven to rotate.
The document is first conveyed toward the image reading position P by the pair of registration rollers 40, and secondary paper feeding is started. After the secondary sheet feeding is started, the document is passed through the image reading position P and sent to the discharge roller pair 50. Next, after being conveyed by the cooperation of the registration roller pair 40 and the discharge roller pair 50, the sheet is finally discharged to the document discharge tray 14 by the discharge roller pair 50.

In the process of passing the image reading position P, the image of the document conveyed by the document conveying device 10 as described above is read by image reading means (image reading means) included in the image reading device provided in the copying machine main body 102. For example, it is read by a CCD image sensor) and stored as image information by a storage device. The image information stored by the storage device is transferred and fixed to the sheet by the operation of the image forming means provided in the copying machine main body 102, which is performed in parallel with the above-described transport operation of the document transport device 10. By repeating the image forming operation by the image forming means, the images of all the originals are copied.

Referring to FIG. 3 to FIG.
One of locking means or locked means is disposed near the image reading position P on the upper surface of the front end of the document feeder. The other of the locking means or the locked means is disposed at a position corresponding to one of the two. In the embodiment, a locking member 200 serving as locking means is provided near the image reading position P on the upper surface of the front end of the copying machine main body 102, and the lower surface of the front end of the document feeder 10 is
At a position corresponding to the locking member 200, a locked member 300, which is locked means, is provided.

The locking member 200, which can be formed integrally from a suitable synthetic resin, comprises a base 202 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and a substantially cylindrical locking portion 204 standing upright from the center of the base 202. Have been. Locking part 204
Has a locking hole 206 whose bottom is closed by the base 202. A pair of positioning projections 208 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 206 so as to oppose each other diametrically with respect to the axis and extend radially inward. Positioning projection 20
Each of 8 has a constant circumferential width and is formed to extend linearly in the axial direction from the open end to the bottom. The distal end surfaces of the positioning projections 208 are formed so as to form flat surfaces mutually parallel to the tangential direction of the locking holes 206. Each of the positioning projections 208 thus formed is arranged so as to face in a direction coinciding with the longitudinal direction of the base 202. At the open end of the locking hole 206, an inclined surface 210 inclined inward in the radial direction toward the bottom is formed over the entire circumference. Mounting holes into which mounting screws 212 are inserted are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base 202 with the locking portion 204 interposed therebetween. A frame plate 214 is provided near the image reading position P on the upper surface of the front end portion of the copying machine main body 102, and the frame plate 214 has a pair of screw holes. A pair of screw holes of the frame plate 214 are arranged so as to be aligned with mounting holes formed in the base 202 of the locking member 200. The base member 202 of the locking member 200 has the mounting screw 2.
By being fastened to the frame plate 214 by 12, it is mounted on the frame plate 214. The longitudinal direction of the base 202 is arranged so as to coincide with the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 3) when the copying machine main body 102 is viewed from the front.

The locked member 300, which can be integrally formed from a suitable synthetic resin, comprises a base portion 302 having a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and a locked rod 304 standing upright from the center of the base portion 302. I have. Locked rod 304
Has a circular cross-sectional shape, and the annular peripheral edge of the tip end surface is formed to have a round shape. Locked rod 3
04 is detachably provided in the locking hole 206 of the locking portion 204 of the locking member 200, more specifically, between a pair of positioning projections 208 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 206. The diameter of its cross section is defined so that it can be fitted and locked. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base 302 with the locked rod 304 interposed therebetween, mounting holes into which mounting screws 306 are inserted are formed. At a position corresponding to the locking member 200 on the lower surface of the front end portion of the document feeder 10, a frame plate 30 is provided.
8 are provided, and a pair of screw holes are formed in the frame plate 308. The pair of screw holes of the frame plate 308 are arranged so as to match the mounting holes formed in the base 302 of the locked member 300. The locked member 300 has its base 30
2 is attached to the frame plate 308 by being fastened to the frame plate 308 by the mounting screw 306. The longitudinal direction of the base 302 is arranged so as to coincide with the left-right direction (the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 3) when the document feeder 10 is viewed from the front.

When the document feeder 10 is turned from the open position shown in FIG. 3 to the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The locked rod 304 of the locking member 300 is connected to the locking portion 2 of the locking member 200 disposed on the copying machine main body 102.
04 is locked in the locking hole 206 of the document transport device 10.
Is located in the closed position. The locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 is removably fitted and locked between a pair of positioning projections 208 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the locking hole 206, so that the original transport device 10 The front end is accurately positioned (positioned) at a predetermined closed position near the image reading position P with respect to the front end of the copying machine body 102, and the movement in the left-right direction is restricted. The lower surface of the base 302 of the locked member 300 is
04 is restricted from moving downward by being in contact with the upper end surface of the locking rod 204.
06 with a gap to the bottom. The inclined surface 210 formed at the opening end of the locking hole 206 functions to smoothly guide the distal end surface of the locked rod 304 to the locking hole 206. The one-dot chain line indicated by the symbol PL in FIG.
2 shows an image reading line defined by an image reading position P. The image reading line PL is a document conveyance direction (a direction from left to right in FIGS. 1 to 3) at the image reading position P formed by the document conveyance path 12 and a partial area of the copying machine main body 102 cooperating with each other. ), The front-rear direction of the document feeder 10 and the copying machine main body 102 (FIGS. 1 to 3).
At the front and back sides). In the embodiment, the position of the locking member 200 is defined such that the axis of the locking hole 206 of the locking portion 204 of the locking member 200 provided in the copying machine main body 102 is located on the extension of the image reading line PL. Have been. Therefore, in the state where the document feeder 10 is located at the closed position as described above, the axis of the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 fitted and locked in the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 is also changed. The locked position is defined so as to exist on the extension of the image reading line PL.

As is apparent from the above description, the mounting position relationship between the document feeder 10 and the copying machine main body 102 is determined by the legs 11a and the hinges 11 provided at the rear end of the document feeder 10. In addition to the leg insertion hole 103 provided at the corresponding rear end of the copier main body 102, the copier main body 1
02 and a locked member disposed at a position corresponding to the locking member 300 on the lower surface of the front end portion of the document feeder 10 in the vicinity of the image reading position P on the upper surface of the front end portion. It is configured to be defined also by the member 300. When the document feeder 10 is closed, the front end of the document feeder 10 near the image reading position P, which is free with respect to the copier main body 102 in the conventional apparatus, is accurately positioned at a predetermined closed position. You. For this reason,
Each leg 11a of the hinge body 11 and a leg insertion hole 103
Even if there is an assembling error or a variation in matching between the document conveying device 10 and the document conveying device 10, the document conveying device 10 is always accurately positioned at the predetermined closed position when the document conveying device 10 is closed. As a result, the image reading line PL is positioned relatively orthogonally to the image reading position P without being inclined relative to the document conveyance direction at the image reading position P, so that the image is distorted such as a rhombus. Is prevented, and stable image quality is guaranteed. Also, no matter how many times the document feeder 10 is repeatedly opened and closed, stable image quality is always obtained. Furthermore, the original conveying device 10 is temporarily removed from the copying machine main body 102 due to a change in the installation location of the copying machine 100, transported to a predetermined place, and then attached to the copying machine main body 102 via each of the hinge bodies 11. Even when used, the mounting position relationship of the document feeder 10 to the copying machine main body 102 does not change, and stable image quality is always obtained. When the document feeder 10 is turned from the closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the open position shown in FIG. 3 through each of the hinge bodies, the locked rod of the locking member 300 in the document feeder 10 304 is the copier body 10
2 is disengaged from the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 in FIG.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the locking member 200 and the locked member 300 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 is formed from a through hole having no bottom.
In addition, the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 is set in the locking hole 20 when the document feeder 10 is positioned at the closed position.
The length is defined so as to penetrate through 6 and protrude inward in the axial direction. Other configurations of the locking member 200 and the locked member 300 are substantially the same as those of the previous embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, and therefore, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. I do. The copying machine main body 102 in which the locking member 200 is provided, wherein the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 is provided.
A micro switch SW which is a switch means for detecting the open / close state of the document feeder 10
Are arranged. The micro switch SW is connected to the frame plate 21
4 via a bracket 216, and is arranged so that its operating lever is positioned on the extension of the axis of the locking hole 206. The micro switch SW is
ON-by the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300
It is turned off. That is, when the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 projects axially inward through the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 in a state where the document feeder 10 is located at the closed position, The tip surface of the stop rod 304 pushes the operating lever of the micro switch SW to turn on the micro switch SW (see FIG. 8). Further, when the document feeder 10 is turned toward the open position via each of the hinge bodies 11, the locked rod 304 is detached from the locking hole 206, so that the locked rod 3
04 is separated from the operating lever of the microswitch SW, and the microswitch SW is turned off (FIG. 7).
reference). As is clear from the above description, the copying machine body 10
The document feeder, which is a member that positions the closed position of the front end of the document feeder 10 near the image reading position P in cooperation with the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 disposed on the second side. Since the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 disposed on the 10 side also functions as an actuator of the microswitch SW, a conventional actuator is not required, and the cost can be reduced. It should be understood that other operational effects are substantially the same as the operational effects in the previous embodiment described with reference to FIGS.

9 to 11 show another embodiment of the locking member 200 and the locked member 300 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the length of the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 is longer than the length of the locked rod 304 in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. Locking member 200 and locked member 3
Other configurations of 00 are substantially the same as those of the previous embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and therefore, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. In the copying machine main body 102 in which the locking member 200 is provided, the document conveying device 1 is located at a position axially inside the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200.
An optical transmission sensor S, which is a switch means for detecting the open / closed state of 0, is provided. The sensor S is a frame plate 214
Is attached via a plurality of locking claws to a support bracket 218 attached to the support bracket 218. The sensor S includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element.
The outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 that protrudes through the locking hole 206 is disposed so as to be interposed at a distance from the outside in the radial direction. The light emitting element and the light receiving element are positioned on an imaginary straight line passing through the axis of the locked rod 304 and extending in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis. The sensor S is turned on and off by the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300. That is, when the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 projects axially inward through the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 in a state where the document feeder 10 is located at the closed position, The tip of the stop rod 304 is positioned so as to shield between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the sensor S.
Is OFF (see FIGS. 10 and 11). When the document feeder 10 is turned toward the open position via each of the hinge bodies 11, the locked rod 304 is
06, the tip of the locked rod 304 releases the shielding between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the sensor S, and the sensor S is turned on (see FIG. 9). As is apparent from the above description, the document feeder, which is a member for positioning the closed position of the document feeder 10 in cooperation with the locking hole 206 of the locking member 200 provided on the copying machine main body 102 side. Since the locked rod 304 of the locked member 300 disposed on the 10 side also functions as an actuator of the sensor S, a conventional actuator is not required, and the cost can be reduced. It should be noted that other operation and effects are substantially the same as the operation and effects in the previous embodiment described with reference to FIGS.
It will be easily understood.

As described above, the present invention has been described in detail based on the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and furthermore, does not depart from the scope of the present invention. Various other variations or modifications are possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the locking member 20
0, the micro switch SW and the sensor S are the copier body 1
02, and the locked member 300
0 side, but on the contrary, the locking member 20
0, the microswitch SW and the sensor S are disposed on the document feeder 10 side, and the locked member 300 is
Other embodiments arranged on the side are also possible. In addition, the locking portion 2 of the locking member 200 provided in the copying machine main body 102
The position of the locking member 200 is defined so that the axis of the locking hole 206 of 04 extends on the extension of the image reading line PL, but the axis of the locking hole 206 exists on the extension of the image reading line PL. Instead, another embodiment in which the position of the locking member 200 is defined so as to be located at a position moved in a small range in the left-right direction is also possible.

[0025]

According to the image forming apparatus provided with the document feeder according to the present invention, when the document feeder is closed, it can be always accurately positioned at a predetermined closed position, and stable image quality can be obtained. Is guaranteed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a part of an embodiment of a copying machine having a document conveying device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing, on an enlarged scale, a part of the document feeder and the copying machine main body shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the copying machine shown in FIG. 1 in a state where a document feeder is opened.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an embodiment of a locking member and a locked member according to the present invention, and is a front view showing a part in section.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing another operation mode of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front view showing another embodiment of the locking member and the locked member according to the present invention together with the embodiment of the switch, and a partially sectional front view.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing another operation mode of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing still another embodiment of the locking member and the locked member according to the present invention together with another embodiment of the switch, and a front view showing a part of the cross section.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing another operation mode of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Document conveying apparatus 11 Hinge body 12 Document conveying path 60 Guide member 100 Copy machine 102 Copy machine main body 106 Glass plate 200 Locking member 206 Locking hole 300 Locked member 304 Locked rod P Image reading position PL Image reading line S Optical transmission sensor SW Micro switch

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus is provided at a rear end of the image forming apparatus main body via a hinge so as to be pivotable between a closed position covering an upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body and an open position opening an upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body. The document transport device includes a document transport device, and a partial area of the document transport path of the document transport device is formed in cooperation with a partial area on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body and defines an image reading position. In the image forming apparatus, one of the locking means or the locked means is disposed near the image reading position on the upper surface of the front end of the main body of the image forming machine, The other of the locking means or the locked means is disposed at a position corresponding to one of the locking means or the locked means, and the original conveying device is turned to the closed position via the hinge means. When it is caused, the locking means or the engaged The other one of the means is detachably locked to one of the locking means or the locked means in the image forming apparatus main body, and the document feeder is positioned at a closed position. An image forming machine provided with. 2. The locking means comprises a locking member having a locking hole, and the locked means includes a locked rod which can be removably fitted and locked in the locking hole of the locking member. An image forming apparatus provided with the document feeder according to claim 1, comprising an engaged member. 3. The locking hole of the locking member is formed from a through hole, and the locked rod of the locked member penetrates through the locking hole in a state where the document conveying device is positioned at the closed position. A document feeder or an image forming apparatus body having a length defined so as to protrude inward in the direction, and provided with a locking member, wherein the document transporter is located at a position axially inner than the locking hole of the locking member. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising switch means for detecting an open / close state of the apparatus, wherein the switch means is turned on and off by a locked rod of a locked member.