JP2020077010A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an operation unit and an image forming apparatus that can improve operability without causing an increase in size of an apparatus body.SOLUTION: An operation unit comprises: a panel unit 71 that is connected to a control unit of an apparatus body 10 and can execute at least one of display of information obtained from the control unit and input of the information to the control unit; and an NFC substrate 72 that has an antenna 74 capable of transmitting and receiving a radio wave to and from a portable terminal 101 brought into proximity thereto and allows communication between the portable terminal 101 brought into proximity to the antenna 74 and the control unit in a short-range radio communication system. The antenna 74 is arranged in a lower part of the panel unit 71 and near the panel unit 71 when the panel unit 71 is viewed from the front.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation unit and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an operation unit and an image forming apparatus used in a non-contact communication system such as a near field communication system (NFC) or a non-contact type IC card.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction peripheral having a plurality of functions of these, various methods for inputting data to the apparatus main body have been developed. As one of the methods, a short-range wireless communication system (hereinafter, referred to as NFC) that enables data communication with the device body by bringing a mobile terminal or a non-contact type IC card (authentication card) close to the device body. (Patent Document 1) has been developed.

  This image forming apparatus includes a panel section which is a liquid crystal display touch panel provided on an upper part of the apparatus body, and an NFC substrate having an antenna section provided on the left side of the panel section. In this image forming apparatus, a user brings a mobile terminal or an authentication card close to an NFC board to enable various data communication with the apparatus body by near field communication.

JP, 2014-171156, A

  However, in the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 described above, since the NFC board is arranged on the left side of the panel section, when the user brings the mobile terminal or the authentication card close to the NFC board, the panel section is hidden by the user's hand. The visibility and operability were poor. Further, since the NFC board is arranged on the left side of the panel section, when the user brings the mobile terminal or the authentication card close to the NFC board, the user's hand, the mobile terminal or the authentication card comes into contact with the panel section and the device There was a risk that the main unit would malfunction, and the operability was poor. In order to solve these problems, it is conceivable to secure a sufficient area on the left side of the panel section so that the user's hand, the portable terminal or the authentication card does not hang on the panel section even if the portable terminal or the authentication card is brought close to it. In this case, the size of the main body of the device is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an operation unit and an image forming apparatus that can improve operability without increasing the size of the apparatus main body.

  The operation unit of the present invention is connected to a control unit of the apparatus main body, and a panel unit capable of executing at least one of displaying information obtained from the control unit and inputting information to the control unit, and a proximity unit. A communication unit capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from the communication unit, the communication unit being in proximity to the antenna, and the control unit being capable of communicating by a short-range wireless communication system, The antenna is arranged below the panel unit and near the panel unit when the panel unit is viewed from the front.

  According to the present invention, the antenna is arranged below the panel section and near the panel section when the panel section is viewed from the front. For this reason, when the user brings the communication unit close to the antenna, it is possible to prevent the panel unit from being hidden by the user's hand, and the user's hand or the communication unit from coming into contact with the panel unit. As a result, it is possible to improve operability without increasing the size of the device body.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic front view which shows the operation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a mobile terminal is brought close to the operation unit according to the first embodiment in parallel. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which inclined the portable terminal and brought it close to the operation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. It is a schematic front view which shows the operation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which the portable terminal was made to approach in parallel to the operation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the state which inclined the portable terminal and brought it close to the operation part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, as shown in each drawing, the front side toward the image forming apparatus 1 is the front direction F, the back side (back side) is the rear direction B, the left side is the left direction L, and the right side is the right direction. R, the upper side is the upward direction U, and the lower side is the downward direction D. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured such that the user performs various operations from the front direction F side toward the rear direction B side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an electrophotographic multifunction machine having a plurality of functions of a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile. However, the invention is not limited to the electrophotographic composite machine, and may be an inkjet system or an image forming apparatus having a single function such as a copying machine or a printer.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body) 10. The apparatus body 10 includes an image reading unit 20, a sheet feeding unit 30, an image forming unit 40 (see FIG. 2), a sheet discharging unit 50, a control unit 60 (see FIG. 2), an operation unit 70, Is equipped with. A sheet as a recording material is one on which a toner image is formed, and specific examples thereof include plain paper, a resin sheet which is a substitute for plain paper, a thick paper, and a sheet for an overhead projector.

  The image reading unit 20 is, for example, a flat bed scanner device, and is provided on the top of the device body 10. The image reading unit 20 includes a platen glass (not shown) as a document placing table, a light source (not shown) that illuminates a document placed on the platen glass, and an image sensor (not shown) that converts reflected light into a digital signal. And so on.

  The sheet feeding unit 30 is arranged in the lower portion of the apparatus main body 10 and includes sheet cassettes 31a and 31b that stack and store sheets such as recording sheets, and feed the sheets to the image forming unit 40 (see FIG. 2). To send.

  The image forming unit 40 has an image forming unit, a toner bottle, an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer unit, a fixing device, etc., which are not shown, and can form an image on a sheet based on image information from the control unit 60. Is.

  The sheet discharging unit 50 includes a discharging roller 51 that discharges the sheet after the image formation, and a discharging tray 52 that is arranged on the downstream side of the discharging roller 51. The discharge roller 51 discharges the image-formed sheet to the discharge tray 52 through the discharge port 10 a formed in the apparatus body 10. The discharge tray 52 is a face-down tray and stacks the sheets discharged from the discharge port 10a. The space between the image reading unit 20 and the discharge tray 52 constitutes the in-body space 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 60 is composed of a computer, for example, a CPU 61, a ROM 62 for storing a program for controlling each unit, a RAM 63 for temporarily storing data, and an input / output for inputting / outputting signals to / from the outside. And a circuit (I / F) 64. The control unit 60 is connected to the image reading unit 20, the sheet feeding unit 30, the image forming unit 40, the sheet discharging unit 50, and the operation unit 70 via the input / output circuit 64, and exchanges signals with each unit and operates. Control.

  Next, the operation unit 70, which is a characteristic part of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, will be described in detail. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 70 is capable of performing communication with a user's mobile terminal (communication means, for example, a smartphone) 101 by a short-range wireless communication method (hereinafter, referred to as NFC method). The communication means is not limited to the mobile terminal, and may be a non-contact type IC card.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the operation unit 70 is provided on the upper front side of the apparatus body 10. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 70 is arranged on the front direction F side of the image reading unit 20, and is provided at a position where the user can easily operate. The operation unit 70 is provided integrally with the apparatus body 10 and fixed to the apparatus body 10 so as not to move. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the operation unit 70 includes a panel unit 71, an NFC board (communication unit) 72, and an input unit 73.

  The panel unit 71 is provided substantially horizontally, and is configured by, for example, a resistive film type or electrostatic capacity type touch panel and a liquid crystal display type display panel stacked in the thickness direction. The panel unit 71 can perform various input operations by pressing an operation key displayed on the touch panel. The panel unit 71 is connected to the control unit 60 of the apparatus body 10 and can perform at least one of displaying information obtained from the control unit 60 and inputting information to the control unit 60. Specifically, the panel unit 71 displays the remaining amount of sheets and the remaining amount of toner replenished in the apparatus body 10, a warning message when these consumable items are exhausted, a procedure for replenishing consumable items, and the like. , Information necessary for the user to operate the image forming apparatus 1 is displayed. Further, the panel unit 71 receives user operation inputs such as sheet size and basis weight, image density adjustment, and setting of the number of output sheets.

  The NFC board 72 can communicate with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 74 formed of a loop antenna, a communication circuit 75, and a detection unit 76. That is, the NFC board 72 can communicate with the mobile terminal 101 and the control unit 60, which are located close to the antenna 74, by the NFC method. Further, in the present embodiment, the antenna 74, the communication circuit 75, and the detection unit 76 are integrally formed on the NFC substrate 72. That is, the panel portion 71 and the antenna 74 are integrally provided with the apparatus body 10 and fixedly fixed to the apparatus body 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the antenna may be arranged at a position apart from the NFC board and the antenna and the NFC board may be connected by a cable. In this case, the degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the antenna can be increased.

  The antenna 74 can transmit and receive radio waves by the NFC method to and from the mobile terminal 101 that is in proximity to the antenna 74, and thus can communicate. The communication circuit 75 performs signal processing on transmitted and received radio waves. The detection unit 76 detects the current flowing through the antenna 74 to detect the intensity of the radio wave (received wave) received by the antenna 74 or the radio wave (transmitted wave) transmitted from the antenna 74.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the NFC substrate 72 in which the antenna 74 is integrated is arranged below the panel unit 71 and in the vicinity of the panel unit 71 when the panel unit 71 is viewed from the front. In the front view, it is assumed that the panel portion 71 is in a normal use direction and is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the panel surface.

  In the present embodiment, since the panel portion 71 is provided substantially horizontally, the antenna 74 is arranged on the front side F side of the panel portion 71 with respect to the apparatus body 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the antenna 74 is provided at the front end portion 70a of the operation unit 70 of the device body 10. In the present embodiment, the NFC board 72 is arranged near the upper portion (front side) of the operation unit 70. As a result, it is possible to prevent the panel unit 71 from being hidden by hand when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 72. Further, since the NFC board 72 is arranged near the panel section 71, the user can easily know the position of the NFC board 72.

  The input unit 73 has, for example, a numeric keypad for inputting numbers, a key for inputting start or stop of the device, and the like. The input section 73 is provided on the right side R side of the panel section 71 in the present embodiment. That is, the input unit 73 is arranged on at least one side in the left-right direction of the panel unit 71 and can input information to the control unit 60. As a result, it is possible to prevent the panel section 71 from being hidden by the hand when the user operates the panel section 71 while visually recognizing it.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 101 is, for example, a smartphone, and includes a terminal control unit 160, an NFC board 172, a panel unit 171, and the like.

  Like the control unit 60, the terminal control unit 160 is configured by a computer, for example, a CPU 161, a ROM 162 for storing a program, a RAM 163 for temporarily storing data, and an input / output circuit for inputting / outputting signals to / from the outside ( I / F) 164. The NFC board 172 can communicate with the operation unit 70 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 174 including a loop antenna, a communication circuit 175, and a detection unit 176, like the NFC board 72. The NFC board 172 is attached to the back surface side of the mobile terminal 101 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the panel portion 171 is provided). The panel unit 171 has a configuration in which a resistance film type or capacitance type touch panel and a liquid crystal display type display panel are stacked in the thickness direction, and by pressing an operation key displayed on the touch panel, Various input operations can be performed. That is, the operation unit 70 can operate the image forming unit 40 and the like via the control unit 60. In order to communicate between the operation unit 70 and the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, it is necessary to bring the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 74 so that the two communicating antennas 74 and 174 are within the communication distance.

  Next, the operation of executing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 101 in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4, a case will be described in which the user makes the mobile terminal 101 substantially parallel to the operation unit 70 and brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 70. In this case, a guidance for holding up the mobile terminal 101 is displayed on the panel unit 71. The user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the radio wave area of the NFC board 72, and brings the mobile terminal 101 close so that the antenna 74 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L1, so that communication can be performed. When the antenna 74 and the antenna 174 are close to each other within the distance L1, the control unit 60 performs authentication and the like, and the respective panel units 71 and 171 display the authentication results. In this case, since the hand holding the portable terminal 101 does not overlap the panel unit 71, it is possible to reduce the probability that the panel unit 71 is hidden or the operation key of the panel unit 71 is erroneously pressed. Further, since the NFC board 72 having the antenna 74 is arranged near the panel portion 71, the user can easily see the guidance and the operability is high. Further, since the user can visually recognize each panel portion 71, 171 without moving the line of sight (dotted line in FIG. 4), the operability is further improved.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, a case where the user tilts the mobile terminal 101 with respect to the operation unit 70 and brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 70 will be described. In this case, the user is placed in a state in which communication can be performed by bringing the mobile terminal 101 close to each other so that the antenna 74 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L2. Here, on the front surface of the apparatus body 10, that is, on the front end portion 70a of the operation unit 70, the tip of the mobile terminal 101 is separated from the panel unit 71 so as to be close to the panel unit 71 so that the mobile terminal 101 does not touch. As a result, the NFC board 172 on the side of the mobile terminal 101 can be brought close to the radio wave and communication can be performed between the antennas 74 and 174.

  In either case, since the position of the NFC board 72 is away from the right side of the panel unit 71 on which the input unit 73 is arranged, it is possible to prevent an erroneous operation of touching the input key of the input unit 73 during NFC communication. ..

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the antenna 74 is arranged below the panel unit 71 and near the panel unit 71 when the panel unit 71 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 74, it is possible to prevent the panel section 71 from being hidden by the user's hand, and the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101 from coming into contact with the panel section 71. it can. Moreover, since the plane space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the operation unit 70 can be downsized. As a result, the operability can be improved without increasing the size of the apparatus body 10.

  Here, when the NFC board 72 is arranged on the right side R side of the panel section 71, when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with the left hand, the panel section 71 may be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand. The possibility of doing so increases. Further, in general, since the input unit 73 is arranged close to the right side R side of the panel unit 71, the NFC board 72 needs to be arranged further to the right direction R side than the input unit 73. The distance from 71 to the NFC substrate 72 increases, and the operability while looking at the panel portion 71 deteriorates.

  Further, when the NFC board 72 is arranged on the left side L side, when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with the right hand, the panel section 71 may be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand. Becomes higher. Further, when the NFC board 72 is arranged on the rear direction B side, when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with either the right hand or the left hand, the panel portion 71 may be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand. More likely to.

  On the other hand, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the NFC substrate 72 is arranged on the front direction F side of the panel portion 71. Therefore, it is difficult for the panel portion 71 to be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand, and the input portion 73 is arranged in the left-right direction of the panel portion 71, so that the possibility of erroneous operation is low.

  Further, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the antenna 74 is arranged at the front end portion 70a of the operation unit 70, so that the portable terminal 101 and the authentication card can be set up in front of the operation unit 70. It becomes possible to communicate. As a result, for example, even when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 70 while hanging it from the neck, communication with the operation unit 70 becomes possible. Also in this case, it is possible to reduce the risk of touching the panel portion 71 and the input portion 73, and by ensuring the visibility of the panel portion 71, it is possible to further improve the operability.

<Second Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation unit is an operation unit 270 that is provided separately from the apparatus body 10 and is movable with respect to the apparatus body 10. However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit 270 is composed of a vertical operation panel provided on the upper front side of the apparatus main body 10 via an arm 277. The operation unit 270 is separate from the apparatus body 10 and is supported by the arm 277 so as to be movable with respect to the apparatus body 10. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation unit 270 has a panel unit 271, an NFC board (communication unit) 272, and an input unit 273.

  The panel unit 271 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured by, for example, a resistive film type or electrostatic capacity type touch panel and a liquid crystal display type display panel stacked in the thickness direction. The NFC board 272 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 274 including a loop antenna, a communication circuit 275, and a detection unit 276. That is, the NFC board 272 can communicate the mobile terminal 101 and the control unit 60, which are placed close to the antenna 274, by the NFC method. The panel portion 271 and the antenna 274 are provided integrally with the apparatus body 10 and fixed to the apparatus body 10 so as not to move.

  Here, the NFC substrate 272 in which the antenna 274 is integrated is arranged below the panel unit 271 and near the panel unit 271 when the panel unit 271 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, since the panel portion 271 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 274 is arranged on the lower side of the panel portion 271 with respect to the apparatus body 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the antenna 274 is provided on the edge portion 270a of the operation unit 270. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the panel unit 271 from being hidden by the hand when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 272. Further, since the NFC board 272 is arranged near the panel section 71, the user can easily know the position of the NFC board 272.

  Next, the operation of executing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 101 in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 8, a case will be described in which the user brings the mobile terminal 101 into parallel with the operation unit 270 and brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 270. In this case, a guidance for holding up the mobile terminal 101 is displayed on the panel unit 271. The user can communicate by bringing the mobile terminal 101 close to the radio wave area of the NFC board 272 and bringing the mobile terminal 101 close so that the antenna 274 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L3. When the antenna 274 and the antenna 174 are close to each other within the distance L3, the control unit 60 performs authentication and the like, and the respective panel units 271 and 171 display the authentication results. In this case, since the hand holding the mobile terminal 101 does not overlap the panel portion 271, it is possible to reduce the probability that the panel portion 271 is hidden or the operation key of the panel portion 271 is erroneously pressed. Further, since the NFC board 272 having the antenna 274 is arranged near the panel unit 271, the user can easily see the guidance and the operability is high. Further, since the user can visually recognize each panel unit 271 and 171 without moving the line of sight (dashed line in FIG. 8), the operability is further improved.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, a case where the user tilts the mobile terminal 101 with respect to the operation unit 270 and brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 270 will be described. In this case, the user is placed in a state in which communication can be performed by bringing the mobile terminal 101 close to each other so that the antenna 274 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L4. Here, at the edge portion 270a of the operation unit 270, the tip of the portable terminal 101 is separated from the panel portion 271 and brought close to it so that the portable terminal 101 does not touch the panel portion 271. As a result, the NFC board 172 on the mobile terminal 101 side can be brought close to the radio wave, and communication can be performed between the antennas 274 and 174.

  As described above, also in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the antenna 274 is arranged below the panel unit 271 and near the panel unit 271 when the panel unit 271 is viewed from the front. For this reason, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 274, it is possible to prevent the panel unit 271 from being hidden by the user's hand, and to prevent the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101 from touching the panel unit 271. it can. Further, since the plane space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the operation unit 270 can be downsized. As a result, the operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1.

  Also, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the antenna 274 is arranged at the edge portion 270a of the operation unit 270, communication is performed with the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card tilted below the operation unit 270. It becomes possible to do. Thereby, for example, even when the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the operation unit 270 while suspending it from the neck, communication with the operation unit 270 becomes possible.

<Third Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the panel portion 371 of the operation unit 370 is provided substantially vertically. However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the operation unit 370 is configured by a vertical operation panel provided on the front side wall 11 on the upper side of the in-body space (recess) 12 of the apparatus body 10. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 370 is arranged on the front side F side of the image reading unit 20, and is provided at a position where the user can easily operate. The operation unit 370 is provided integrally with the apparatus body 10 and fixed to the apparatus body 10 so as not to move. The operation unit 370 includes a panel unit 371, an NFC board (communication unit) 372, and an input unit 373.

  The panel portion 371 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured by stacking, for example, a resistance film type or capacitance type touch panel and a liquid crystal display type display panel in the thickness direction. The NFC board 372 can communicate with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 374 including a loop antenna.

  Here, the NFC substrate 372 integrated with the antenna 374 is arranged below the panel portion 371 and near the panel portion 371 when the panel portion 371 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, since the panel portion 71 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 374 is arranged on the lower side D side of the panel portion 371 with respect to the apparatus body 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the antenna 374 is provided on the upper side of the in-body space 12 that is formed in the apparatus body 10 and is recessed in the rear side.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of executing the NFC method communication with the mobile terminal 101 is the same as that of the second embodiment having the substantially vertical panel unit 271. The description is omitted.

  As described above, also in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the antenna 374 is arranged below the panel portion 371 and near the panel portion 371 when the panel portion 371 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 374, it is possible to prevent the panel section 371 from being hidden by the user's hand and prevent the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101 from touching the panel section 371. it can. In addition, since the plane space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the operation unit 370 can be downsized. As a result, the operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation unit is an operation unit 470 that is provided separately from the apparatus body 10 and is movable with respect to the apparatus body 10. However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the operation unit 470 is configured by an upright operation panel provided so as to be self-supporting by a base 477. The operation unit 470 is separate from the apparatus body 10, is connected to the control unit 60 of the apparatus body 10 by a cable 478, and is movably supported with respect to the apparatus body 10. The operation unit 470 can be placed at an appropriate position within the reach of the cable 478. The operation unit 470 has a panel unit 471, an NFC board (communication unit) 472, and an input unit 473.

  The panel portion 471 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured, for example, by stacking a resistance film type or capacitance type touch panel and a liquid crystal display type display panel in the thickness direction. The NFC board 472 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method and has an antenna 474 including a loop antenna. The NFC substrate 472 integrated with the antenna 474 is arranged below the panel unit 471 and near the panel unit 471 when the panel unit 471 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, since the panel portion 471 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 474 is arranged on the lower side D side of the panel portion 471 with respect to the apparatus body 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the antenna 474 is provided on the edge portion 470a of the operation unit 470. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the panel unit 471 from being hidden by the hand when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 472.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of executing the NFC method communication with the mobile terminal 101 is the same as that of the second embodiment having the substantially vertical panel unit 271. The description is omitted.

  As described above, also in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the antenna 474 is arranged below the panel unit 471 and near the panel unit 471 when the panel unit 471 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 474, it is possible to prevent the panel section 471 from being hidden by the user's hand and prevent the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101 from touching the panel section 471. it can. Further, since the plane space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the operation unit 470 can be downsized. As a result, the operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 10 ... Device main body, 12 ... In-body space part (recessed part), 40 ... Image forming part, 60 ... Control part, 70, 370 ... Operation part, 70a ... Front end part, 71, 271, 371. 471 ... Panel section, 72, 272, 372, 472 ... NFC board (communication section), 73, 273, 373, 473 ... Input section, 74, 274, 374, 474 ... Antenna, 101 ... Portable terminal (communication means), 270, 470 ... Operation unit (operation section), 270a, 470a ... Edge portion.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet and a discharge port for discharging the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit, and the image forming apparatus faces from front to front. And a discharge tray on which sheets discharged from the discharge port are stacked in a sheet discharge direction intersecting the vertical direction and a reading unit that reads a document image, A reading unit provided at an overlapping position and above the discharge tray in the vertical direction, and a reading unit provided on the front side of the reading unit in the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the image forming apparatus, and the vertical direction. An operation unit provided at a position where a part thereof overlaps a part of the discharge tray in a direction orthogonal to a direction from the back surface to the front surface of the image forming apparatus, and the operation unit can be touch-operated by a user. A touch panel unit and an antenna unit provided inside the operation unit, capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves by a short-range wireless communication system between a communication device having a display unit and being perpendicular to the surface of the touch panel unit. when viewed from a direction the operating unit, having an antenna portion which is located between the lower end portion of the operation portion and the lower portion of the touch panel unit, Ru der image forming apparatus characterized by.

Claims (10)

A panel unit connected to the control unit of the apparatus main body, capable of executing at least one of displaying information obtained from the control unit and inputting information to the control unit,
A communication unit having an antenna capable of transmitting and receiving radio waves to and from a communication unit in proximity, and a communication unit capable of communicating the communication unit in proximity to the antenna and the control unit by a short-range wireless communication system,
The antenna, when viewed from the front of the panel unit, is disposed below the panel unit and near the panel unit,
An operation unit characterized by the above. The panel portion and the antenna are provided integrally with the device body and fixed so as not to be movable with respect to the device body.
The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein: The panel section is provided substantially horizontally,
The antenna is arranged on the front side of the panel portion with respect to the apparatus body,
The operation unit according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna is provided at the front end of the device body,
The operation unit according to claim 3, wherein The panel section is provided substantially vertically,
The antenna is disposed below the panel unit with respect to the device body,
The operation unit according to claim 2, wherein: The antenna is provided on an upper side of a concave portion formed in the main body of the apparatus, the concave portion being recessed in a rear side,
The operation unit according to claim 5, wherein. The panel unit and the antenna are operation units that are provided separately from the apparatus body and are movable with respect to the apparatus body.
The operation unit according to claim 1, wherein: The antenna is provided at an edge of the operation unit,
The operation unit according to claim 7, wherein: The panel section is provided on at least one side in the left-right direction, and has an input section capable of inputting information to the control section.
The operation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: An image forming unit provided on the apparatus main body and capable of forming an image on a sheet based on image information from the control unit,
The operation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is capable of operating the image forming unit via the control unit.
An image forming apparatus characterized by the above.

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