JP2023135493A - multifunction device - Google Patents

Abstract

To make it easier for a user to bring an external apparatus close to a communication unit.SOLUTION: A multifunction device includes a document cover (4) having a handgrip portion (43), and an operation panel (5) having an antenna (52) and a panel cover (51). When the operation panel (5) is viewed from a front face of the multifunction device, a mark (513) indicating a position of the antenna (52) is located on the front face side of the multifunction device relative to the handgrip portion (43), on a top surface (50) of the panel cover (51), and is located in an inner portion in a left-right direction than both ends of the multifunction device in the left-right direction of the handgrip portion (43).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present disclosure relates to a multifunction device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a multifunction device that includes a scanning device having a document cover, a display operation panel, and an NFC (Near Field Communication) board having a loop antenna that performs communication using a near field communication method. . The loop antenna communicates with a mobile terminal that is close to the NFC board.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-171156

In the multifunction device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the user brings the mobile terminal close to the NFC board, the mobile terminal hits the document cover, so there is room for improvement in that it becomes difficult for the user to bring the mobile terminal close to the NFC board. Ta. An object of the present disclosure is to make it easier for a user to bring an external device closer to a communication unit.

In order to solve the above problems, a multifunction device of the present disclosure includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and has an ejection tray on the top surface that receives the sheet on which the image is formed, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet. an image reading unit that reads an image, the image reading unit has a document placement surface on which a document for reading an image can be placed, and is arranged above the output tray; a document cover that covers the document placement surface in an openable and closable manner; a communication section that performs short-range wireless communication with an external device; a panel cover that covers the communication section and has a top surface with a mark indicating the position of the communication section; and an operation panel provided on a side of the image reading unit, the document cover is placed on the front side of the multifunction device, and the multifunction device is mounted with the document cover closed. has a handle portion that is recessed from the front to the back of the multifunction device and recessed from the bottom surface of the multifunction device to the top, and when the operation panel is viewed from the front of the multifunction device with the document cover closed, The mark is located on the upper surface of the panel cover on the front side of the multifunction device with respect to the handhold portion, and on the inside in the left and right direction of both ends of the multifunction device in the handhold portion. It's in the part.

Since the document cover has a handle portion, the user can easily open and close the document cover by inserting his/her hand into the handle portion. Further, a mark indicating the position of the communication section is located on the upper surface of the panel cover at a portion that is inside in the left-right direction from both ends of the multifunction device in the left-right direction in the handhold section. Therefore, by putting a part of the external device into the handle section, the user can easily bring the external device close to the mark indicating the position of the communication section. In other words, the handle portion that allows the user to easily open and close the document cover can also serve as a device that allows the user to easily bring the external device closer to the communication portion.

In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the operation panel may be provided from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center, and the mark may be arranged near the side center of the image reading unit. .

Since the operation panel extends only from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center, a space for the user to take out the sheet from the ejection tray can be secured, and the user can easily take out the sheet from the ejection tray. Furthermore, since the mark is placed near the center on the side of the image reading unit, the user can place his or her hand in the space and easily bring the external device closer to the communication section.

In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the operation panel is provided from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center thereof, and the hand grip portion is arranged so that when the document cover is closed, the operation panel extends from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center. The mark may be arranged near the center of the side, and the mark may be arranged closer to the one end side of the image reading unit in the hand holding portion when the document cover is closed.

Since the operation panel is provided from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center, a space for the user to take out the sheet from the output tray can be secured, and the user can easily take out the sheet. Further, the mark is arranged closer to one end of the image reading unit in the hand holding portion. Therefore, when the user brings the external device close to the communication section, the external device hits the one end side of the handle section of the document cover, making it easier for the user to align the external device with the mark.

In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the operation panel includes a touch display that is disposed in an opening of the panel cover and receives input operations from a user, and a switch, and the switch includes the touch display and the switch. mark, and the top surface of the switch may be located below the top surface of the panel cover.

The top surface of the switch is located below the top surface of the panel cover. Therefore, compared to the case where the switch protrudes from the top surface of the panel cover, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user accidentally presses the switch when aligning the external device with the mark.

In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the communication unit may be a pattern antenna provided on a substrate included in the operation panel. Since the communication section is provided on the board as a thin pattern antenna, the thickness of the operation panel can be reduced.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to make it easier for a user to bring an external device closer to the communication unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction device according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the document cover is open in the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the multifunctional device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the appearance of an operation panel included in the multifunctional device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the operation panel shown in FIG. 4. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a part of an IC card, which is an example of an external device, is contained in a handle portion of a document cover included in the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. 1; 5 is a plan view showing the internal structure on the back side of the operation panel shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the structure of the front surface side of a panel substrate included in the operation panel shown in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a multifunction device according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. However, the following description is an example of a multifunction device according to the present disclosure, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated example. In this embodiment, an example of a multifunction device according to the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the side where the operation panel 5 is provided is defined as the front side, that is, the front side, of the multifunction device 1, as shown in FIG. Further, when viewed from the front side of the multifunction device 1, the side that comes to the left is defined as the left side, and the side that comes to the right is defined as the right side.

(Overall configuration of multifunction device 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the multifunction device 1 shown in FIG. 1 with the document cover 4 open. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the multifunction device 1 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. The multifunction device 1 is, for example, an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) having a communication function, a scan function, a print function, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 1 includes an image forming unit 2, an image reading unit 3, a document cover 4, and an operation panel 5.

(Image forming unit 2)
The image forming unit 2 forms an image on the sheet P. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming unit 2 includes a supply tray 21, an image forming section 22, a fixing device 23, and a discharge tray 24 in a housing 20. Further, a front cover 25 is provided on the front of the housing 20 so as to be openable and closable.

The supply tray 21 is removably installed in the housing 20 and supports the sheet P. The sheet P is, for example, plain paper. Note that the sheet P is not limited to plain paper, and may also be thick paper or thin paper. Further, the number of supply trays 21 can be changed as appropriate.

The image forming unit 2 is provided with a conveyance path R. The conveyance path R is a path from the supply tray 21 to the output tray 24 via the image forming section 22 and the fixing device 23. Further, the image forming unit 2 includes a pickup roller 251, a registration roller 252, and a discharge roller 253 as a conveyance section for conveying the sheet P along the conveyance path R.

The pickup roller 251 is provided on the supply tray 21 and picks up the sheet P in the supply tray 21. The registration rollers 252 transport the sheet P pulled out by the pickup roller 251 toward the image forming section 22 in synchronization with the toner image forming operation in the image forming section 22 . The discharge roller 253 discharges the sheet P on which the image is formed to the discharge tray 24 . That is, the discharge roller 253 discharges the sheet P into the space between the image forming unit 2 and the image reading unit 3.

The image forming section 22 forms a toner image on the sheet P. The image forming section 22 includes a developer cartridge 221, a developer roller 222, a photosensitive drum 223, and a transfer roller 224. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 based on image data.

The developing roller 222 supplies toner contained in the developing cartridge 221 to the photosensitive drum 223, thereby developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 to form a toner image. The photosensitive drum 223 and the transfer roller 224 are arranged to face each other. The transfer roller 224 transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 onto the sheet P. In addition to these, the image forming unit 22 includes a charger that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 and a cleaning roller that removes toner and the like remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223.

The fixing device 23 includes a heating section 231 and a roller 232. A fixing nip is formed between the heating unit 231 and the roller 232 by pressing the heating unit 231 and the roller 232 against each other. The fixing device 23 fixes the toner image formed on the sheet P by conveying the sheet P on which the toner image is formed while heating it in a fixing nip. The sheet P on which the image has been formed is discharged to the discharge tray 24 by the discharge roller 253. The ejection tray 24 receives the sheet P on which the image is formed on the upper surface of the ejection tray 24 .

(Image reading unit 3)
The image reading unit 3 reads an image from a document. The image reading unit 3 is arranged above the ejection tray 24. That is, the image reading unit 3 is arranged above the image forming unit 2 with a space therebetween. The image reading unit 3 is capable of reading images using both a flatbed method and an ADF method, for example. The image reading unit 3 has an image reading section 31 inside a housing 30 and a contact glass 32 provided on the top surface of the housing 30. The contact glass 32 functions as a document placement surface on which a document for image reading can be placed.

(Manuscript cover 4)
The image reading unit 3 has a document cover 4 . The document cover 4 is arranged above the image reading unit 3. The document cover 4 includes an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 41 within a housing 40 .

The document cover 4 is attached to the rear of the image reading unit 3 via a hinge 42. Thereby, the document cover 4 can be opened and closed between an open position where the contact glass 32 is exposed and a closed position where the contact glass 32 is covered. That is, the document cover 4 covers the contact glass 32 in an openable and closable manner.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ADF 41 includes a document supply tray 410 that supports a document from which an image is to be read, and a document discharge tray 420 that supports a document after the image has been read. Furthermore, the ADF 41 includes a document transport mechanism (not shown) that allows the document supported by the document supply tray 410 to pass over the contact glass 32 and is discharged to the document discharge tray 420.

The document cover 4 has a handle portion 43 . The handle portion 43 is recessed on the front side of the multifunction device 1 from the front to the back of the multifunction device 1 when the document cover 4 is closed. Furthermore, the handhold portion 43 is recessed upward from the bottom surface of the multifunction device 1 . That is, when viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1, the handle portion 43 has a left side surface 431, a right side surface 432, a back surface 433, and a top surface 434, as shown in FIG. Note that the boundaries between these surfaces may be curved surfaces.

Further, the handle portion 43 is recessed in the direction from the operation panel 5 toward the image reading unit 3 and recessed in the direction from the image reading unit 3 toward the document cover 4 when the document cover 4 is closed. The hand holding portion 43 is arranged near the center of the side of the image reading unit 3 when the document cover 4 is closed. The handle portion 43 allows the user to easily open and close the document cover 4. The user can lift the document cover 4 while placing his/her fingers on the upper surface 434 of the handhold portion 43 .

The image reading unit 31 includes an image reading element 311 such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) arranged below the contact glass 32, as shown in FIG. When reading an image using the flatbed method, the document cover 4 is opened once, and the document whose image is to be read is placed on the contact glass 32 with the surface to be read facing the contact glass 32. The document cover 4 is closed. Then, with the document covered from above by the document cover 4, the image reading unit 31 reciprocates the image reading element 311 in the left-right direction (in the direction of arrow 312 in FIG. 2) along the contact glass 32. Reads the image of the target side of the document.

On the other hand, when reading an image using the ADF method, the document conveyance mechanism of the ADF 41 conveys the document supported by the document supply tray 410 toward the contact glass 32 . When the original passes over the contact glass 32, the image reading unit 31 reads an image of the contact surface of the original with the contact glass 32. The document transport mechanism discharges the document after the image has been read to the document discharge tray 420 on the top surface of the document cover 4.

(Operation panel 5)
The operation panel 5 is a user interface that displays the operating status and settings of the multifunction device 1 and accepts input operations from the user. The operation panel 5 is provided on the side of the image reading unit 3, that is, on the front side. The operation panel 5 is provided unevenly on the left side of the image reading unit 3 so as to protrude toward the front side from the casing 30 of the image reading unit 3 located above the ejection tray 24 .

Further, the operation panel 5 has a shape whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, and is provided so that the lateral direction of the operation panel 5 is inclined toward the user with respect to the front-rear direction. In this way, by providing the operation panel 5 unevenly located on the left and right sides of the image reading unit 3, the operation panel 5 is less likely to become an obstacle when the user takes out the sheet P after image formation from the ejection tray 24, and the sheet P can be removed. Easier to take out.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the appearance of the operation panel 5 included in the multifunction device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the operation panel 5 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the operation panel 5 includes a panel cover 51, an antenna 52, a communication board 53, a touch display 54, and a switch 55.

The panel cover 51 has a top surface 50, a first opening 511, and a second opening 512. The panel cover 51 is a long plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, and covers the inside of the operation panel 5. That is, the panel cover 51 covers the antenna 52 and the communication board 53.

On the top surface 50 of the panel cover 51, there is a mark 513 indicating the position of the antenna 52. The mark 513 indicating the position of the antenna 52 means that the center of the antenna 52 is located near the mark 513 when the operation panel 5 is viewed from above. The mark 513 is arranged on the right side of the upper surface 50 in the left-right direction. The mark 513 is printed on the top surface 50, but is not limited thereto. The mark 513 may be formed with a recessed portion, for example, or may be made of a translucent member.

When the mark 513 is made of a translucent member, the mark 513 may be configured such that a light source such as a light emitting diode is placed directly below the translucent member so that the mark shines. When the user approaches the external device to the mark 513 using the mark 513 as a guide, communication can be established between the external device and the antenna 52. Examples of the external device include an IC card, a wireless tag, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal having a near field communication (NFC) function.

Mark 513 is located in area A1 shown in FIG. When the operation panel 5 is viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1 with the document cover 4 closed, the area A1 is located on the front side of the multifunction device 1 with respect to the handhold portion 43 on the upper surface 50, and This is a portion of the hand holding portion 43 that is located inside the left and right ends of the multifunction device 1 in the left and right direction. Both ends of the hand holding portion 43 are a left end EL and a right end ER of the hand holding portion 43. Mark 513 is included in area A1. Moreover, more specifically, the mark 513 is arranged closer to the center of the handle portion 43 in the left-right direction.

Here, since the discharge tray 24 is disposed below the image reading unit 3, the mark 513 is not covered by the sheet P, and the user can easily visually recognize the mark 513 at all times. Further, since the mark 513 is arranged on the front side of the multifunction device 1 with respect to the document cover 4 when viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1, the user can easily bring an external device into contact with the mark 513.

The mark 513 is arranged near the center on the side of the image reading unit 3 in the area A1. Since the operation panel 5A extends only from one side end E1 of the image reading unit 3 to near the center, a space for the user to take out the sheet P from the ejection tray 24 can be secured, and the user can take out the sheet P from the ejection tray 24. It's easy to do. Furthermore, since the mark 513 is arranged near the center on the side of the image reading unit 3, the user can easily bring the external device closer to the antenna 52 by placing his or her hand in the space.

Further, the mark 513 is arranged near the left end EL of the hand holding portion 43 on the one end E1 side of the image reading unit 3 when the document cover 4 is closed. Therefore, when the user brings the external device close to the antenna 52, the external device hits the left end EL on the one end E1 side of the handle portion 43 of the document cover 4, making it easier for the user to align the external device with the mark 513.

The communication board 53 is provided inside the operation panel 5 at a position facing the mark 513 in order to realize good wireless communication with external devices. The communication board 53 is arranged along the inside of the upper surface 50 directly under the mark 513. The communication board 53 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped circuit board, and is equipped with a communication circuit, a detection circuit, and the like.

The antenna 52 is an example of a communication section provided on the upper surface of the communication board 53 so as to be located below the mark 513. The antenna 52 is, for example, a loop antenna. The antenna 52 is provided on the communication board 53 so as to be located below the area A1 on the top surface 50.

In other words, the handle portion 43 is arranged obliquely upward from the antenna 52. The diagonally upward direction is a direction from the front of the multifunction device 1 to the back, and from the bottom surface of the multifunction device 1 to the top. Antenna 52 performs short-range wireless communication with an external device. Examples of short-range wireless communication include NFC, but it is not limited to this, and may also be RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), for example.

Further, the antenna 52 may be a pattern antenna provided on the communication board 53. Since the antenna 52 is provided on the communication board 53 as a thin pattern antenna, the thickness of the operation panel 5 can be reduced. The pattern antenna may be, for example, a printed pattern antenna formed from conductive ink or conductive paste as a substantially thin plate-shaped conductive member, and constructed by plating, etching, an inkjet method, a press method, etc. It may be.

The antenna 52 has a function of transmitting and receiving radio waves for communicating with external devices. The communication circuit mounted on the communication board 53 has a function of signal processing the transmitted and received radio waves. The detection circuit mounted on the communication board 53 has a function of detecting the intensity of radio waves transmitted and received by the antenna 52 by detecting the current flowing through the antenna 52.

Since the operation panel 5 has the antenna 52 and the mark 513 is on the top surface 50, the user can more easily recognize the position of the antenna 52 than when the mark 513 and the antenna 52 are arranged at a location other than the operation panel 5. .

The touch display 54 is exposed through a first opening 511 formed in a rectangular shape on the left side in the left-right direction of the upper surface 50 . Touch display 54 is placed in first opening 511 . The touch display 54 receives a user's input operation via the first opening 511. The touch display 54 includes a touch panel, a liquid crystal panel, etc. (not shown).

The switch 55 is exposed through a second opening 512 formed in a circular shape near the center of the upper surface 50 in the left-right direction. Switch 55 is arranged between touch display 54 and mark 513. The switch 55 turns the power of the multifunction device 1 ON/OFF.

Note that the function of the switch 55 is not limited to turning ON/OFF the power of the multifunction device 1, but the switch 55 has other functions such as returning the multifunction device 1 from sleep and switching the operating functions. You can leave it there.

The touch display 54, the switch 55, and the mark 513 are arranged so that their center positions in the front-rear direction are aligned with each other. Thereby, the design of the operation panel 5 can be improved.

Note that the panel cover 51 may have a capacitance type upper surface 50 in which the upper surface 50 is covered with a flat transparent plate, and the touch display 54 and the switch 55 can be operated through the transparent plate. . Thereby, the first opening 511 and the second opening 512 can be omitted and a flat upper surface 50 can be realized.

The upper surface 551 of the switch 55 is located below the upper surface 50 of the panel cover 51. Therefore, compared to the case where the switch 55 protrudes from the upper surface 50 of the panel cover 51, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user accidentally presses the switch 55 when aligning the external device with the mark 513.

As described above, since the document cover 4 has the handle portion 43, the user can easily open and close the document cover 4 by inserting his/her hand into the handle portion 43. Further, a mark 513 indicating the position of the antenna 52 is located on a portion of the upper surface 50 of the panel cover 51 that is inner in the left-right direction than both ends of the grip portion 43 in the left-right direction of the multifunction device 1.

Therefore, by putting a part of the external device into the handle portion 43, the user can easily bring the external device close to the antenna 52 at the position indicated by the mark 513. In other words, the handle portion 43 that allows the user to easily open and close the document cover 4 can also serve as a device that allows the user to easily bring an external device close to the antenna 52.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a part of an IC card 61, which is an example of an external device, is inserted into the handle portion 43 of the document cover 4 included in the multifunction device 1 shown in FIG. When the user brings the IC card 61 close to the mark 513, the user can insert a part of the IC card 61 into the handle portion 43, as shown in FIG.

Thereby, the user can easily move the IC card 61 to a position where the vicinity of the center of the IC card 61 faces the antenna 52. Since a component for the IC card 61 to communicate with the antenna 52 is often provided near the center of the IC card 61, the user can easily position the component to face the antenna 52. Therefore, the user can easily cause the IC card 61 and the antenna 52 to communicate.

Further, in order to make it easier for the user to move the IC card 61 to a position where the vicinity of the center of the IC card 61 faces the antenna 52, there is no need to increase the length of the operation panel 5 in the front-back direction. Therefore, the design of the multifunction device 1 can be improved, and it can be prevented that the length of the operation panel 5 in the front-rear direction increases, making it difficult for the user to remove the sheet P from the discharge tray 24.

(Internal structure on the back side of the operation panel 5)
FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the internal structure on the back side of the operation panel 5 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the front surface 562 side of the panel substrate 56 included in the operation panel 5 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the operation panel 5 includes a panel substrate 56 and a plurality of fixing members 57.

The panel substrate 56 is arranged on the opposite side of the touch display 54 from the panel cover 51. That is, the touch display 54 is arranged between the panel cover 51 and the panel substrate 56. A back surface 561 of the panel substrate 56 shown in FIG. 7 is a surface opposite to the front surface 562 of the panel substrate 56 shown in FIG.

Further, the panel substrate 56 is for controlling the touch display 54. The panel board 56 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped circuit board on which a control circuit and the like are mounted. A control circuit mounted on the panel substrate 56 has a function of controlling the touch display 54.

The upper side in the vertical direction means the upper side in FIG. 7 than the center position MP of the operation panel 5 in the front-rear direction of the multifunction device 1, that is, the side on the image reading unit 3 side. The lower side in the vertical direction means the lower side in FIG. 7 than the center position MP of the operation panel 5 in the front-rear direction of the multifunction device 1, that is, the front side of the multifunction device 1.

The panel board 56 is electrically connected to the communication board 53 above the panel cover 51 in the vertical direction by a flexible wiring W1. Specifically, the panel board 56 is provided with a connector 58, and when the flexible wiring W1 electrically connected to the communication board 53 is inserted into the connector 58, the panel board 56 is connected to the communication board 53. electrically connected.

Since the flexible wiring W1 is located on the upper side of the panel cover 51 in the vertical direction, when a user approaches the lower side of the panel cover 51 in the vertical direction, the flexible wiring W1 is hardly affected by static electricity caused by the user. . The flexible wiring W1 is, for example, a flat flexible wiring such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) or an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the panel substrate 56 has a first portion P1 and a second portion P2. The first portion P1 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 surrounded by a dotted line P1, and the second portion P2 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 surrounded by a dotted line P2. The first portion P1 does not have the conductive pattern 563. The second portion P2 has a conductive pattern 563.

Note that, for convenience of explanation, only a part of the conductive pattern 563 in the area surrounded by the dotted line P2 in FIG. 8 is illustrated. The conductive pattern 563 may be, for example, a printed pattern formed using conductive ink or conductive paste as a substantially thin conductive member, and may be constructed by plating, etching, an inkjet method, a press method, or the like. There may be.

Further, when viewed from the direction D1 perpendicular to the panel board 56, the antenna 52 of the communication board 53 and the first part P1 of the panel board 56 overlap, and the antenna 52 of the communication board 53 and the second part P2 of the panel board 56 overlap. do not overlap. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the influence of the conductive pattern 563, that is, radio wave interference, on communication between the antenna 52 and external equipment.

Therefore, a part of the panel board 56 and a part of the communication board 53 can be overlapped while ensuring the stability of communication between the antenna 52 and external equipment. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both stability of communication between the antenna 52 and external equipment and miniaturization of the operation panel 5. A part of the communication board 53 is arranged between the panel cover 51 and the panel board 56.

Furthermore, by leaving the first portion P1, which is the portion of the panel board 56 that overlaps with the communication board 53, without cutting, the portion of the panel board 56 near the fixing member 57 located on the lower side in FIG. can maintain sufficient strength.

Furthermore, the first portion P1 can be used to align the panel substrate 56 and the panel cover 51 by bringing the ribs or bosses of the panel cover 51 into contact with the first portion P1 of the panel substrate 56, thereby eliminating the need for a conductive pattern. function can be realized.

Furthermore, by leaving the first portion P1 uncut, it is possible to reduce the unevenness of the outer shape of the panel substrate 56, making it easier for the operator to hold the panel substrate 56 when assembling the panel substrate 56 to the panel cover 51, making assembly easier. .

The position of the end on the communication board 53 side of the first portion P1 and the position of the end on the communication board 53 side of the reinforcing plate W2 such as an insulating film provided on the flexible wiring W1 match in the left-right direction. Consider the case of checking whether In this case, it can be confirmed whether the flexible wiring W1 is sufficiently inserted into the connector 58.

When viewed from the direction D1 perpendicular to the panel substrate 56, the switch 55 is provided in a portion of the panel substrate 56 between the antenna 52 and the touch display 54. The first portion P1 is arranged between the antenna 52 and the switch 55. With this configuration, the force applied to the switch 55 can be supported by the first portion P1. Therefore, bending of the panel substrate 56 when the user presses the switch 55 can be reduced, and mechanical stress applied to the elements on the panel substrate 56 due to the bending of the panel substrate 56 can be suppressed.

The fixing member 57 is, for example, a screw such as a bolt. The fixing member 57 penetrates the panel substrate 56 from the back surface 561 of the panel substrate 56 toward the front surface 562 of the panel substrate 56, and is coupled to the panel cover 51. Thereby, the fixing member 57 fixes the panel substrate 56 to the panel cover 51.

Some of the fixing members 57 among the plurality of fixing members 57 are located near the first portion P1. By fixing the panel board 56 to the panel cover 51, when the user presses the switch 55, the bending of the panel board 56 is reduced, and the bending of the panel board 56 causes mechanical damage to the elements on the panel board 56. can reduce stress.

If a boss is provided on the panel cover 51 instead of the fixing member 57, and when manufacturing variations occur in the operation panel 5, if the user touches the operation panel 5 while the height of the boss is insufficient, There is a possibility that the panel substrate 56 will be bent. Therefore, it is preferable to use not only the boss but also the fixing member 57.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second portion P2 includes a third portion P3. The third portion P3 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 surrounded by a dotted line P3. The third portion P3 does not have any conductive pattern 563 other than the conductive pattern 563 that is electrically connected to the switch 55. Note that the third portion P3 may be provided with a light source such as a light emitting diode. In this case, the third portion P3 does not have any conductive pattern 563 other than the conductive pattern 563 electrically connected to the switch 55 and the light source.

As described above, it is possible to realize the multifunction device 1 including the operation panel 5 that can achieve both stability of communication between the antenna 52 and external devices and miniaturization of the operation panel 5. Further, since the image reading unit 3 provided with the operation panel 5 is arranged above the image forming unit 2, the sheet P ejected from the image forming unit 2 does not cover the operation panel 5, and the user cannot use the operation panel 5. 5 is easy to operate.

[Embodiment 2]
Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described below. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a multifunction device 1A according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the multifunction device 1A differs from the multifunction device 1 in that the operation panel 5 is changed to an operation panel 5A. The operation panel 5A has a longer length in the left-right direction and a smaller length in the front-back direction than the operation panel 5.

The mark 513 on the top surface 50A of the operation panel 5A is located in area A2. Area A2 is located on the front side of the multifunction device 1A in the upper surface 50A with respect to the handhold portion 43 when the operation panel 5A is viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1A with the document cover 4 closed. Further, the area A2 is a portion of the handhold portion 43 that is located inside the left and right ends of the multifunction device 1A in the left and right direction.

The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made within the scope of the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

1, 1A Multifunction device 2 Image forming unit 3 Image reading unit 4 Original cover 5, 5A Operation panel 24 Ejection tray 32 Contact glass 43 Hand grip portion 50, 50A Top surface 51 Panel cover 52 Antenna 53 Communication board 54 Touch display 55 Switch 61 IC Card 511 First opening 513 Mark 551 Top surface E1 One end P sheet

Claims (5)

an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming unit having a discharge tray on an upper surface that receives the sheet on which the image is formed;
an image reading unit that reads an image from a document, the image reading unit having a document placement surface on which a document for reading the image can be placed, and disposed above the output tray;
a document cover that opens and closes the document placement surface of the image reading unit;
A communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with an external device; and a panel cover that covers the communication unit and has a mark on an upper surface that indicates the position of the communication unit, and is provided on a side of the image reading unit. an operation panel,
A multifunction device comprising:
The document cover has a handle portion on the front side of the multifunction device that is recessed from the front to the back of the multifunction device when the document cover is closed, and that is recessed from the bottom surface of the multifunction device to the top;
When the operation panel is viewed from the front of the multifunction device with the document cover closed, the mark is located on the front side of the multifunction device with respect to the handhold portion on the upper surface of the panel cover. , and the multifunction device is located at a portion of the handhold portion that is located inside the left and right ends of the multifunction device in the left and right direction. The operation panel is provided from one side end to near the center of the image reading unit,
The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1, wherein the mark is arranged near the center of a side of the image reading unit. The operation panel is provided from one side end to near the center of the image reading unit,
The handhold portion is disposed near the center of the side of the image reading unit when the document cover is closed;
2. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the mark is arranged closer to the one end of the image reading unit in the hand holding section when the document cover is closed. The operation panel is
a touch display that is placed in an opening of the panel cover and receives input operations from a user;
has a switch;
the switch is arranged between the touch display and the mark,
4. The multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the switch is located below the top surface of the panel cover. 5. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is a pattern antenna provided on a board included in the operation panel.

Images