JP2012013767A - Hinge mechanism and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge mechanism that prevents float of a hinge due to the weight of a display device such as an operation panel, prevents the display device from inclining to an unintentional angle, and prevents backlash of the display device during angle change, and to provide an image forming apparatus that has the same.SOLUTION: The hinge mechanism includes a rotating member (upper hinge h2), and a torque hinge h3 provided in the central portion in this rotating member and applying predetermined rotation torque when the rotating member is rotated, the rotating member being attached opposite a non-rotating portion (hinge base h1) via the torque hinge so as to freely rotate. In the hinge mechanism, arcuate through-holes h23, h24 formed through the face of the rotating member, which is opposite the non-rotating portion, and the face opposite this face. Engaging members (screws h4) inserted into and engaged with the through holes are provided on the non-rotating portion. Separation of the rotating member from the non-rotating portion is restrained by the engagement of the engaging members with the through-holes, and the rotating member engages with the non-rotating portion so as to freely rotate.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer, and a composite machine of these, and more particularly to an improvement in a hinge mechanism of a display device provided in the image forming apparatus.

  Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus provided with a display device such as an operation panel, and the display device performs a vertical tilt rotation operation along a vertical plane and a left and right swivel rotation operation along a horizontal plane with respect to the apparatus main body. There is also known an image forming apparatus in which (azimuth: an operation for changing an azimuth angle, the same applies hereinafter) is freely configured.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, in a thin display device in which a main body T having a display screen is attached to a stand S via a swivel hinge mechanism and a tilt hinge mechanism, and can freely rotate in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, A horizontal plate portion 1a and a horizontal plate portion 1a are provided with a U-shaped rotor 1 having a left side plate portion 1b and a right side plate portion 1c extending upward from both ends of the horizontal plate portion 1a. By connecting the upper end with the swivel hinge pin 2 and connecting the left side plate portion 1b and the right side plate portion 1c with the main body portion T with the tilt hinge pins 11 and 12, the number of parts of the swivel hinge mechanism and the tilt hinge can be reduced. A thin display device is disclosed (see FIGS. 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1).

  However, in the thin display device described in Patent Document 1, depending on the angle of the tilt hinge, as shown in FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings of the present application, the swivel hinge pin is not strong enough and the swivel hinge pin is weighted by the liquid crystal panel (display panel). There has been a problem that a part of the hinge that is far from the liquid crystal panel is bent, the liquid crystal panel is tilted to an unintended angle, or the angle of the liquid crystal panel that is the display screen is changed.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present invention prevents the hinge from being lifted by the weight of the display device such as the operation panel in the image forming apparatus provided with the display device, and the display device is inclined at an unintended angle. An object of the present invention is to provide a hinge mechanism that does not rattle when the angle of the display device is changed, and an image forming apparatus including the hinge mechanism.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 includes a rotating member and a torque hinge that is provided at a central portion of the rotating member and applies a predetermined rotational torque when the rotating member rotates. A hinge mechanism, wherein the rotating member is rotatably attached to the non-rotating portion via the torque hinge, and the surface of the rotating member facing the non-rotating portion is opposite to the surface An arc-shaped through-hole penetrating the side surface is provided, and an engaging member that is inserted into and engaged with the through-hole is provided in the non-rotating portion, and the rotating member is engaged by the engagement of the engaging member and the through-hole. Is configured to restrain the separation from the non-rotating portion, and the rotating member is rotatably engaged with the non-rotating portion.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the first aspect, the rotating member has a second second hinge part capable of rotating an attachment with a rotation axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the torque hinge. It is provided.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the second aspect, the rotating member is a member that rotates along a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and the second hinge portion is centered on a horizontal axis. And a tilt hinge that rotates the attachment along a vertical plane.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the second or third aspect, an attachment is attached to the second hinge portion via a torque hinge.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a display device is mounted on the rotating member as a mounted object.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the torque hinge has a metal shaft press-fitted into the resin housing, and the metal when the resin housing rotates. A rotational torque is generated by a frictional force with the shaft.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engagement member is a screw having a screw head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole. To do.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engaging member is a rivet having a rivet head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole. To do.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising the hinge mechanism according to any one of the first to eighth aspects.

  The present invention is as described above. According to the invention of claim 1, the rotating member and a torque hinge provided at the center of the rotating member and applying a predetermined rotational torque when the rotating member rotates. A hinge mechanism in which the rotating member is rotatably attached to the non-rotating portion via the torque hinge, and a surface of the rotating member facing the non-rotating portion; An arc-shaped through-hole penetrating the surface opposite to the surface is provided, and an engaging member that is inserted into and engaged with the through-hole is provided in the non-rotating portion. By engaging the engaging member and the through-hole, Since the rotation member is constrained to be separated from the non-rotating portion and the rotating member is rotatably engaged with the non-rotating portion, the weight of the attachment attached to the hinge mechanism is used. Prevents rotating members from floating from non-rotating parts Rukoto can. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the attached object from being inclined to an unintended angle or from being rattled when the angle of the attached object is changed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the first aspect, the rotating member has a second hinge part capable of rotating the attachment with a rotation axis orthogonal to the rotation axis of the torque hinge. Since it is provided, in addition to the above-described effects, the angle of the attachment attached to the second hinge portion can be changed not only on the same plane but also three-dimensionally.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the second aspect, the rotating member is a member that rotates along a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and the second hinge portion is a horizontal axis. Since this is a tilt hinge that rotates the attachment along the vertical plane around the center, the azimuth (azimuth) and elevation (decline) of the attachment attached to the second hinge part can be adjusted in addition to the above-described effects. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to the second or third aspect, since an attachment is attached to the second hinge portion via a torque hinge, in addition to the function and effect, The rotational torque of the torque hinge can counter the weight of the wearing device installed in the second hinge portion, and the wearing object can be stopped at an arbitrary angle (elevation angle, depression angle).

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, since the rotating member is equipped with a display device as an attachment, in addition to the operational effects, It is possible to prevent the rotating member from being lifted from the non-rotating portion by the weight of the display device attached to the hinge mechanism. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the display device attached to the hinge mechanism from being inclined at an unintended angle or rattling when the angle of the display device is changed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the hinge mechanism according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the torque hinge has a metal shaft press-fitted into the resin housing, and the resin housing is rotated. Since the rotational torque is generated by the frictional force with the metal shaft, in addition to the above-described effects, the rotational torque can be imparted against the weight of the attachment by a simple and inexpensive mechanism.

  According to the invention described in claim 7, in the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the engagement member is a screw having a screw head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole. In addition to the above-described effects, the rotating member can be reliably prevented from being lifted from the base material due to the weight of the attachment attached to the hinge mechanism with screws.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, in the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the engagement member is a rivet having a rivet head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole. In addition to the above effects, the rotating member can be reliably prevented from floating from the base material due to the weight of the attachment attached to the hinge mechanism by the rivet. Moreover, it does not loosen like a screw.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the hinge mechanism according to any one of the first to eighth aspects is provided, the above-mentioned effects can be achieved in the image forming apparatus.

1 is a configuration explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment in a perspective front view. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the attachment position of the operation panel of an image forming apparatus same as the above. It is a back perspective view which shows the hinge mechanism of the operation panel same as the above. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the component of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the torque hinge of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is a top view which shows the attachment position of the screw which is an engaging member of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is an AA line cutting | disconnection vertical sectional view of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is an AB sectional view vertical sectional view of the same hinge mechanism. It is a top view which shows swivel rotation operation | movement of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is a side view which shows the tilt rotation operation | movement of a hinge mechanism same as the above. It is a vertical sectional view of the same position as FIG. 8 of the hinge mechanism according to the second embodiment. It is a right view which shows the problem of the conventional hinge mechanism.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment 1]
(Overall configuration of image forming apparatus)
First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Reference numeral 1 in the drawing denotes an in-body discharge type color copying machine using an electrophotographic system exemplified as an embodiment of the present invention. The color copying machine 1 is a casing of the entire image forming apparatus. A substantially box-shaped device main body 10 having an opening on a certain top surface, an image reading unit 2 that is disposed above the device main body 10 and that reads an image of a document, and is disposed below the image reading unit 2, and an image reading unit The image forming unit 3 that forms an image based on image information that is read by 2 or transmitted from an external device, and disposed at the lowermost part of the apparatus main body 10 is a sheet material (a resin for copy paper or OHP) in a paper conveyance path. A sheet-like member including sheets, cardboard, postcards, and the like (hereinafter the same), a paper-feeding unit 5 provided above the image forming unit 3 for discharging a sheet material, A paper conveyance path 6 provided between the paper part 4 and the paper discharge part 5 It is mainly composed of.

  The image reading unit 2 is attached to the top surface portion of the apparatus main body 10 and a contact glass 20 as a document table on which a document is placed. The image reading unit 2 is disposed directly below the contact glass 20 and shines light on the document while moving. A light source 21, an imaging lens 22 that forms an image of reflected light from the document, an image sensor 23 such as a CCD that is disposed at the imaging position and reads a document image, and reflects reflected light from the document. It is composed of a plurality of mirrors leading to the imaging lens 22. In addition, a pressure plate 24 (not shown) for pressing a document placed on the contact glass 20 is provided on the upper portion of the image reading unit 2. Instead of the pressure plate 24, an automatic document feeder (ADF) for automatically feeding a document to the contact glass 20 may be installed.

  The image forming unit 3 includes four process cartridges 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K corresponding to toners of a total of four colors of yellow, cyan, and magenta that are three primary colors, and black that is an achromatic color, and these four process cartridges. A writing unit 30 provided below 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K for writing a latent image on each photosensitive drum, which will be described later, and four toner bottles 31Y, 31C that contain new toner of a color corresponding to each process cartridge. , 31M, 31K, a transfer unit 32 that once transfers an image formed by each process cartridge to a sheet material, and a fixing unit 33 that fixes the image on the sheet material.

  The process cartridges 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K are arranged in the order of yellow, cyan, magenta, and black from the upstream side along the movement direction (arrow X in the drawing) of the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 32a described later. Each of the process cartridges 3Y, 3C, 3M, 3K is centered on the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, K, which are latent image carriers that are driven to rotate clockwise in a front view, and the photosensitive drums Y, C, M , K, the charging means for uniformly charging the outer peripheral surface, and the corresponding colors of the electrostatic latent images formed by the writing unit 30 described later on the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, K. The remaining toner after transfer on the outer peripheral surface of the developing means 30Y, 30C, 30M, and 30K, and the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K, which is visualized as a single color toner image with the above toner, is collected by cleaning. The image forming apparatus is configured so as to be detachable from the apparatus main body 10 by being integrally molded from a cleaning means or the like.

  The writing unit 30 includes a polygon mirror, an fθ lens, and the like, and scans while uniformly irradiating laser light from a laser light emitting device based on image information input from the image reading unit 2, a personal computer, an external scanner, and the like. An exposure apparatus that selectively exposes the outer peripheral surfaces of charged photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K to lower the surface potential of the irradiated portion and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum. .

  The toner bottles 31Y, 31C, 31M, and 31K are individually filled with the four new color toners, and the developing means 30Y, 30C, 30M, and 30K of the process cartridges 3Y, 3C, 3M, and 3K are conveyed through a conveyance path (not shown). It is a mechanism for supplying toner of each color to 30K.

  The transfer unit 32 is an intermediate transfer belt 32a that is an endless belt made of a multilayer structure of elastic resin as an intermediate transfer member, and four support rollers 32b, 32c, 32d, and 32e that support and stretch the intermediate transfer belt 32a. And four primary transfer rollers 32f opposed to the photoconductive drums Y, C, M, and K with the intermediate transfer belt 32a interposed therebetween, a secondary transfer roller 32g disposed opposite to the support roller 32b, and the like. The intermediate transfer type transfer device.

  This support roller 32b is a drive roller connected to a drive means (not shown), and has a function of rotating the intermediate transfer belt 32a in the direction of arrow X in the figure. Note that a secondary transfer roller 32g is disposed at a position facing the drive roller 32b with the intermediate transfer belt 32a interposed therebetween, and a residue that adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt 32a in the vicinity of the support roller 32c. A cleaning device 32h that scrapes and cleans the toner is provided.

  Each primary transfer roller 32f takes into account image deterioration due to gap discharge, and the intermediate transfer belt 32a is sandwiched between the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K and the intermediate transfer belt 32a is in contact with the intermediate distance from the directly facing position. A transfer bias (transfer voltage) applying means of a contact application type disposed at a position slightly shifted downstream in the conveyance direction of the transfer belt 32a, connected to a bias power source (not shown), and the primary transfer bias is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 32a. It is comprised so that application is possible from the back surface (inner peripheral surface).

  The secondary transfer roller 32g is urged by an urging means (not shown), is pressed against the intermediate transfer belt 32a on the outer periphery of the drive roller 32b, and forms a secondary transfer nip with the drive roller 32b. The drive roller 32b is a contact-type transfer bias applying means connected to a bias power source (not shown). Further, the secondary transfer roller 32g may be a transfer bias applying unit, and in this case, a transfer bias having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image to be transferred is applied.

The fixing unit 33 has a fixing nip between a fixing belt 33c, which is an endless belt stretched between a fixing roller 33a and a heating roller 33b, and a pressure roller 33d as a pressure member in pressure contact with the fixing belt 33c. Heat and pressure are applied to the sheet material that is formed and conveyed through the sheet conveyance path 6 described later in this fixing nip, and the toner image transferred in the secondary transfer nip of the transfer unit 32 is applied to the sheet material. It is fixed by melting and adhering.

  The sheet feeding unit 4 stores and stocks predetermined copy sheets having different sizes as sheet materials, and feeds cassettes 40 and 41 that can be pulled out from the apparatus main body 10 and a predetermined pressure on the stocked copy sheets from above. The paper feed rollers 42 and 43 etc. that come into elastic contact with each other are provided, and based on the control signal of the control means (not shown), the copy paper accommodated in the paper feed cassettes 40 and 41 is fed by the paper feed rollers 42 and 43, respectively. It is sent out to a sheet conveyance path 6 to be described later.

  Further, the paper feed unit 4 is provided with a manual feed tray 44 for placing an arbitrary sheet material within a predetermined size range that can be conveyed, and a paper feed roller 45 for feeding the arbitrary sheet material. In addition, the sheet material placed on the manual feed tray 44 can be sent out to a sheet conveyance path 6 to be described later by rotating the sheet feeding roller 45.

  The paper discharge unit 5 passes through the toner bottles 31Y, 31C, 31M, and 31K described above and the paper discharge tray 5a that is formed between the image reading unit 2 and the fixing unit 33 through the paper discharge tray 5a. A sheet material such as a copy sheet is composed of a discharge roller pair 5b that discharges (discharges) a sheet material from a sheet conveyance path 6 to be described later, and the sheet material discharged by the discharge roller pair 5b is accumulated on a discharge tray 5a. This is a discharge unit of the in-body discharge type having the function of

  The paper transport path 6 is a vertical transport system (vertical path system) that transports paper from the paper feed unit 4 provided at the bottom of the apparatus body 10 to the paper discharge unit 5 provided at the top of the apparatus body 10 from bottom to top. The normal conveyance path 6a and the reverse conveyance path 6b for reversing the sheet material for double-sided printing, and these conveyance paths can be switched by the switching claw 6c, and the reverse conveyance path by the switching claw 6c. The sheet material guided to 6b and conveyed to the upper portion 6e of the reverse conveyance path 6b by the reverse conveyance roller pair 6d is reversed in a switchback manner when the reverse conveyance roller pair 6d is reversed, and the sheet material before the registration roller pair 6f, which will be described later. It is structured to be conveyed to the normal conveyance path 6a.

  The normal conveyance path 6a and the reverse conveyance path 6b are provided with a plurality of conveyance roller pairs at intervals corresponding to the minimum sheet size, and are conveyed by rotating while sandwiching the sheet material between these conveyance roller pairs. It has become. In addition, a registration roller pair 6f is provided below the secondary transfer nip in the normal conveyance path 6a, and a sheet material is conveyed to the secondary transfer nip by the registration roller pair 6f based on a command from a control unit (not shown). The timing to perform is adjusted.

  FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the outline of the color copying machine 1 on the front, right side, and top surface in order to show the mounting position of the operation panel. As shown in FIG. 2, the front side of the image reading unit 2 is an operation unit that performs various operations of the color copying machine 1, and this operation unit is for operating a plurality of functions of the color copying machine 1. And an operation panel 7 comprising a liquid crystal touch panel that also serves as a display device for displaying various input information and the state of the device, and an input device (various keys such as a start key, numeric keypad, function setting key, reset key, clear / stop key). Is provided. The hinge mechanism of the operation panel 7 will be described in detail later.

(Image forming operation)
Next, the image forming operation of the color copying machine 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
When making a copy, first, the pressure plate 24 is opened and a document is set on the contact glass 20 of the image reading unit 2 (when an ADF is provided in place of the pressure plate 24, the document is set on the document table of the ADF. ). Subsequently, the start switch of the operation panel 7 is pressed to drive the image reading unit 2, and the light emitted from the traveling light source 21 strikes the document surface and is reflected, and the reflected light is reflected by a plurality of mirrors. The image is formed on the image sensor 23 through the imaging lens 22, converted into an electronic signal by the image sensor 23, and an image (content) of the document is read. When the ADF is attached, the operation is started after the document is automatically conveyed onto the contact glass 20 from the ADF mounting table. Then, the image forming operation is started in the full color mode or the monochrome mode according to the mode setting selected on the operation panel 7 or the like.

  First, the case where the full color mode is selected on the operation panel 7 (see FIG. 2) and a color image is formed will be described. When an image forming operation is started in the color copying machine 1, the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K are rotationally driven in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front (direction of FIG. 1) of the color copying machine 1, At this time, the outer peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K are uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity (for example, minus) by the respective charging means. Next, each charging surface is irradiated with laser light from the writing unit 30 based on the image information that has been color-separated so as to correspond to the toner color, and on the outer peripheral surface of each of the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K. An electrostatic latent image is formed. The electrostatic latent image is visualized as a single-color toner image by the developing means 30Y, 30C, 30M, and 30K, and each color toner image is subjected to a primary transfer bias by a corresponding primary transfer roller 32f. The toner is applied and sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 32a to form a full-color toner image. When a single color image is formed, the above operation is performed with the black process cartridge 3K.

  On the other hand, the copy paper stocked in the paper feed cassettes 40 and 41 of the paper feed unit 4 is sent to the paper transport path 6 one by one by the paper feed rollers 42 and 43. Then, the copy sheet moves up the sheet conveyance path 6, and the leading end of the copy sheet comes into contact with the registration roller pair 6f and stops. By abutting, the leading edge of the copy paper is adjusted, and the registration roller pair 6f is rotated in accordance with the timing at which the color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 32a reaches the secondary transfer nip, toward the secondary transfer nip. Copy paper is sent out.

  Next, a secondary transfer bias is applied at the secondary transfer nip of the transfer unit 32, and the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 32 a is transferred onto the copy paper by electrostatic force, and then is transferred to the fixing nip of the fixing unit 33. Sent. Therefore, heat and pressure are applied by the fixing belt 33c and the pressure roller 33d, and the unfixed toner image carried on the copy sheet is fixed on the copy sheet. As described above, after the toner image is fixed on the copy sheet, the sheet discharge roller pair 5b is rotated and discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 5a.

  When the duplex mode is selected on the operation panel 7 (see FIG. 2) and duplex copying is performed, the conveyance path is switched by the switching claw 6c, and the sheet material on which the image is fixed on one side is placed above the reverse conveyance path 6b. 6e is temporarily stacked, and then the traveling direction is reversed in a switchback manner by the pair of reverse conveying rollers 6d, and is conveyed by the conveying roller through the reversing conveying path 6b, and is aligned with the registration roller 6f in time with the image forming operation. The paper is fed again, and image formation (printing) on the back side is performed in the same manner as the image forming operation.

  The residual toner on the photosensitive drums Y, C, M, and K is cleaned by each cleaning unit, and thereafter, a bias in which an alternating current component is superimposed on a direct current is applied by the charging unit to be uniformly charged simultaneously with static elimination. The Further, the residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 32a is cleaned by the cleaning device 32h to prepare for the next image forming operation.

(Hinge mechanism)
Next, the hinge mechanism of the operation panel 7 of the color copying machine 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The operation panel 7 is attached to the top surface of the apparatus main body 10 (see the horizontal plane above the apparatus main body 10) via the hinge mechanism H (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the panel orientation (azimuth: azimuth) and elevation angle ( (Tilt angle) can be adjusted freely. That is, the hinge mechanism H has both functions of a swivel hinge and a tilt hinge and can freely perform a swivel rotation operation and a tilt rotation operation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the hinge mechanism H is a non-rotating portion of a substantially flat hinge base h <b> 1 that faces the plate surface of the hinge base h <b> 1 and rotates while sliding along the upper surface. An upper hinge h2 that is a member, a rotating shaft disposed at the center of the upper hinge h2, a torque hinge h3 that applies a predetermined rotational torque when the upper hinge h2 rotates, and a through-hole that will be described later It is mainly composed of two screws h4 and h4 which are engaging members to be engaged.

The hinge base h1 is mainly composed of a base body h10 that is a rectangular plate in plan view and functions as a non-rotating part (base material). A torque hinge h3 is provided at the center of the base body h10. A shaft hole h11 for mounting the shaft is formed, and four screw receivers h12 to h12 for screwing to the above-described apparatus main body 10 (see FIG. 1) are formed at the four corners. Two female screw portions h13 and 13 that are screwed with the screws h4 and h4 are also formed.
Needless to say, the device main body 10 may be directly formed with a screw receiver, a shaft hole, etc., the hinge base h1 may be omitted, and the top surface itself of the device main body 10 may be a non-rotating portion.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the upper hinge h2 is mainly composed of a substantially disc-shaped upper hinge body h20 and a second hinge part h21 formed at one end of the side surface of the upper hinge body h20. The upper hinge body h20 is formed with a shaft hole h22 which is a through hole for mounting the torque hinge h3 at the center, and two arc-shaped through holes h23 and h24 centered on the shaft hole h22. Is formed. The second hinge portion h21 is provided with an arm 7a protruding from the back surface of the operation panel 7 via torque hinges h25 and h25 having the same configuration as that of a torque hinge h3 described later, and the rotational axis of the torque hinge h3. It is the structure which supports the operation panel 7 which is a mounting thing by the rotating shaft orthogonal to these so that tilt rotation (elevation angle adjustment) is possible. Therefore, the upper hinge body h20 functions as a swivel hinge of the operation panel 7 that is an attachment, and the second hinge portion h21 functions as a tilt hinge.

As described above, the torque applied by the torque hinges h25 and h25 can counter the weight of the operation panel 7 installed in the second hinge portion h21, and the operation panel 7 can be stopped at an arbitrary elevation angle (a depression angle). .
As shown in FIG. 7, the torque hinges h25 and h25 are pressed and fixed (fastened) by immo screws ss (set screw, slotted screw) that move forward and backward along the vertical direction by rotating. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the torque hinge h3 is mainly composed of a resin housing h30 and a metal shaft h31. When the shaft h31 is press-fitted into the housing h30, the housing h30 is an upper hinge. When rotating together with h2, a frictional force acts between the shaft h31 mounted and fixed in the shaft hole h11 of the hinge base h1, which is a non-rotating portion, and a predetermined rotational torque is applied. As shown in FIG. 7, the torque hinge h3 is pressed and fixed (fastened) to the hinge base h1 and the upper hinge h2 by a set screw ss that moves forward and backward in the horizontal direction by rotating. For this reason, the predetermined rotational torque can be applied by a simple mechanism that is inexpensive and difficult to break.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the two arc-shaped through holes h23 and h24 centering on the shaft h31 of the torque hinge h3 are symmetrical with respect to a horizontal line passing through the center of the shaft hole h22, and It is formed on the side away from the operation panel 7 with respect to the center. The through-holes h23 and h24 serve as engaging members, and the widths of the through-holes h23 and h24 (in the radial direction around the shaft hole h22). Two screws h4 and h4 having a screw head diameter larger than the distance between the edges of the along holes are inserted symmetrically with respect to the horizontal line, and the screws h4 and h4 are female screw portions h13 and 13 of the hinge base h1. Screwed (fastened). For this reason, the upper hinge h2 is engaged with the screw heads of the screws h4 and h4 and the through holes h23 and h24 (see FIG. 8), and the upper hinge h2 is weighted by the operation panel 7 attached to the second hinge portion h21. It is possible to restrain that the one far from the operation panel 7 is lifted and separated from the hinge base h1 (see FIG. 12), and the screws h4 and h4 are screwed into the arc-shaped through holes h23 and h24 ( Therefore, the upper hinge h2 does not interfere with the rotation of the upper hinge h2 with respect to the hinge base h1 with the torque hinge h3 as a rotation axis.

  Note that the screw h4 shown in FIG. 8 is a pan head pan head screw, but the shape of the screw head is not particularly limited, and other types of screws such as round countersunk screws and hexagon screws are used. It doesn't matter. In short, the screw h4 as the engaging member may be engaged with the through-hole having a screw head diameter larger than the width of the through-holes h23 and h24.

  As described above, the case where the upper hinge h2 rotates while sliding relative to the hinge base h1 has been described. However, the upper hinge h2 is hinged to the hinge base h1 by biting a washer or the like between the hinge base h1 and the upper hinge h2. May be rotated in a state of being separated by a certain distance.

  As described above, according to the hinge mechanism H according to the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the operation panel 7 that is the mounted display device can be swiveled and tilted. It can be supported freely, and by engaging the screw heads of the screws h4 and h4 with the through holes h23 and h24, the weight of the upper operation panel 7 is lifted by the weight of the operation panel 7 attached, and the hinge is lifted. The swivel can be rotated with respect to the hinge base h1 while restraining separation from the base h1 (see FIG. 12). Further, by applying a predetermined rotational torque with the torque hinges h25, h25, and h3, the direction of the operation panel 7 can be stopped at an arbitrary angle, and the angle that the operation panel 7 does not intend together with the engagement mechanism. It is possible to prevent the camera from tilting or rattling when the angle of the operation panel 7 is changed.

[Embodiment 2]
Next, the hinge mechanism H ′ according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The only difference between the hinge mechanism H ′ according to the second embodiment and the hinge mechanism H according to the first embodiment is that the engaging member is not a screw h4 but a rivet (caulking pin) h4 ′. Members having the same configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

Since the hinge mechanism H ′ is not configured to screw the screw into the hinge base, the hinge base h1 ′ according to the second embodiment is inserted with the rivet h4 ′ instead of the female screw portions h13 and 13 of the first embodiment. Rivet holes h13 ′ and h13 ′, which are through-holes, are provided.
The rivet h4 ′ is larger than the width of the through holes h23 and h24 with which the rivet head on the upper end side is engaged, and has two arc-shaped penetrations at the same position as the screw h4 in the state where the rivet head on the lower end side is not formed. After being inserted into the holes h23 and h24 and the rivet holes h13 ′ and h13 ′, the lower end portion thereof is mechanically caulked to expand the diameter, and attached to the rivet holes h13 ′ and h13 ′ of the hinge base h1 ′. Yes.
The rivet h4 ′ may be either a round rivet or a flat rivet similarly to the screw h4. In short, any rivet having a rivet head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole may be used. Of course, the rivet head on the upper end side may be inserted by inserting from the lower end.

  According to the hinge mechanism H ′ according to the second embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the upper hinge h2 from floating from the hinge base h1 ′ by the weight of the operation panel 7 attached to the hinge mechanism H ′ by the rivet h4 ′. At the same time, the problem that the screw is loosened can be prevented.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described by taking the in-cylinder sheet discharge type color copier of the 4-drum tandem type intermediate transfer system using the electrophotographic system as an example. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to general image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, and a multifunction machine of these.

  The image reading unit 2, the image forming unit 3, the paper feeding unit 4, the paper discharging unit 5, the paper conveyance path 6, the operation panel 7 and the like in the description of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment are merely examples. Thus, other known devices and means can be employed. Even in such a case, it is clear that the same effect can be achieved with respect to the problem. Further, the shapes, structures, and the like of the respective constituent members shown in the drawings are merely preferable examples, and it goes without saying that the design can be appropriately changed within the scope of the claims.

1 Color copier (image forming device)
10 Main unit (top = non-rotating part)
7 Operation panel (display device)
H, H 'Hinge mechanism h1 Hinge base (non-rotating part)
h2 Upper hinge (rotating member)
h20 Upper hinge body h21 Second hinge part h23, h24 Arc-shaped through hole h25 Torque hinge h3 Torque hinge h30 Resin housing (resin housing)
h31 Metal shaft (metal shaft)
h4 screw (engagement member)
h4 'Rivet (engagement member)

JP 2005-275183 A

Claims (9)

A rotating member, and a torque hinge that is provided at a central portion of the rotating member and applies a predetermined rotational torque when the rotating member rotates, and the rotating member is attached to the non-rotating portion via the torque hinge. In the hinge mechanism that is rotatably mounted facing each other,
An arc-shaped through hole is provided that penetrates the surface of the rotating member facing the non-rotating portion and the surface opposite to the surface, and the engaging member inserted through the through hole is engaged with the non-rotating member. Provided in the rotating portion, the engagement of the engaging member and the through hole restrains the rotating member from being separated from the non-rotating portion, and the rotating member is rotatably engaged with the non-rotating portion. A hinge mechanism characterized by being configured as described above.   2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member is provided with a second hinge portion capable of rotating an attachment by a rotation axis orthogonal to a rotation axis of the torque hinge.   The rotating member is a member that rotates along a horizontal plane about a vertical axis, and the second hinge portion is a tilt hinge that rotates an attachment along a vertical plane about a horizontal axis. The hinge mechanism according to claim 2.   The hinge mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an attachment is attached to the second hinge part via a torque hinge.   The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a display device is attached to the rotating member as an attachment.   6. The torque hinge according to claim 1, wherein a metal shaft is press-fitted into a resin housing, and a rotational torque is generated by a frictional force with the metal shaft when the resin housing rotates. The hinge mechanism according to any one of the above.   The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engagement member is a screw having a screw head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole.   The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the engagement member is a rivet having a rivet head having a diameter larger than the width of the through hole.   An image forming apparatus comprising the hinge mechanism according to claim 1.