JP3341113B2 - Interlock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to two attachments (a first attachment and a second attachment) positioned at predetermined positions of a stationary frame.
Of the image forming machine such as an electrostatic copying machine or a laser printer, which is provided to prevent the operation of positioning the attached object) at a predetermined position from being performed erroneously in a predetermined operation sequence. A front cover, which is a first attachment mounted on the frame and opens and closes the front of the image forming machine, and a top cover, which is a second attachment mounted on a stationary frame of the image forming machine and opens and closes the upper surface of the image forming machine. The present invention relates to an interlock mechanism provided to prevent the closing operation of the electronic device from being performed in a predetermined order.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A stationary frame of an image forming machine, for example, a laser printer (hereinafter simply referred to as "printer") is provided with two attachments, for example, a front cover as a first attachment and a second attachment. The top cover, which is an object, is attached. The front cover is attached to open and close the front which is one side of the printer having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the top cover is
It is installed to open and close the top of the printer. A predetermined operation order is provided for the closing operation of the front cover and the top cover. In this operation sequence, for example, the front cover cannot be completely closed (it cannot be positioned at a predetermined position) unless the front cover is completely closed first (after being positioned at a predetermined position).
As described above, an interlock mechanism is provided to satisfy such a predetermined operation sequence.
This interlock mechanism closes the front cover by interfering with the previously closed top cover when the top cover is closed first and then the front cover is to be closed in the wrong order of operation. It is configured to be unable to do so.

[0003]

In the interlock mechanism of the above-described embodiment, if the upper cover is completely closed first by erroneously performing a predetermined operation sequence, even if the next attempt is made to close the front cover, the front cover is first closed. It cannot be closed because it interferes with the closed top cover. Therefore, the front cover and the top cover can be completely closed by reopening the completely closed top cover, closing the front cover according to a predetermined operation sequence, and then closing the top cover. However, as described above, when the predetermined operation order is mistaken, since both the covers cannot be completely closed unless the top cover once closed is opened again, the operation burden on the operator increases, The operation of closing both covers becomes complicated. For this reason, there is a possibility that smooth execution of jam clearance, toner supply or maintenance of the printer may be hindered, and improvement is demanded. The technical problem described above does not exist only when the two attachments are the open / close covers, but one of them is detachable to a predetermined position of the image forming machine, for example, a process unit or a paper feed cassette. Other mounted articles to be positioned (mounted) similarly exist.

[0004] The present invention has been made based on the above fact, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the operation burden on an operator when positioning two attachments at a predetermined position, even if the predetermined operation sequence is mistaken. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel interlock mechanism that enables one of the attachments to be positioned at a predetermined position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel interlock mechanism capable of reliably detecting that two mounted articles are positioned at predetermined positions.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments of an interlock mechanism configured in accordance with the present invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the stationary frame is movably supported in the longitudinal direction and is rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position where movement in one longitudinal direction is prevented. And an interlock lever,
Spring means interposed between the stationary frame and the lever so as to resist rotation from the locked position to the unlocked position and movement from the unlocked position toward one longitudinal end, and the lever provided on the stationary frame. A receiving portion that receives one end of the frame and positions the lock position and allows the movement from the lock position to the unlock position, and first and second attachments respectively positioned at predetermined positions of the stationary frame, and the lever includes: When the second attachment is moved toward the predetermined position in a state where the first attachment is not located at the predetermined position, the second attachment abuts on the other end of the lever and is prevented from moving. Further, when the first attachment is moved toward the predetermined position, the lever is forcibly applied to the first attachment and rotated to the unlock position, and the first attachment is positioned at the predetermined position. No. When the attachment is moved toward the predetermined position, the other end of the lever is forcibly moved by the second attachment and is moved toward one longitudinal end, so that the second attachment is positioned at the predetermined position. An interlocking feature is provided.

The lever is moved to a predetermined position in a state where the lever is positioned at the lock position and the first attachment is not positioned at the predetermined position, and abuts on the other end of the lever to prevent the movement. The second mounted object is held in a state of being substantially in contact with the other end of the lever, the first mounted object is moved toward a predetermined position, and the lever is forcibly applied to the first mounted object. When the lever is rotated to the unlock position, it is preferable that the other end of the lever is relatively rotated while being substantially in contact with the second attachment. The second attachment is formed with a forcible protrusion for abutting the other end of the lever to force the lever in one longitudinal direction, and the other end of the lever is formed to have an arc-shaped surface. Have been
Is preferred. The first attachment is brought into contact with a side surface at one end of the lever, the side surface being oriented in a direction opposite to the direction from the lock position to the unlock position, to move the lever from the lock position. It is preferable that a forcible protrusion for forcing the lock position is formed. When the second attachment is moved toward a predetermined position and the lever is moved toward one end in the longitudinal direction while the lever is rotated to the unlock position, the side surface of the lever is moved to the first side. It is preferable that the attachment is relatively moved in a state in which the attachment is brought into contact with the forcible protrusion. A long hole extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the lever, and a support pin is disposed on the stationary frame, and the lever is rotatably supported on the support pin via the long hole and movably in the longitudinal direction. Is preferably performed. When the second attachment is positioned at the predetermined position,
It is preferable that a switch turned on by the lever moved from the unlock position to the one end in the longitudinal direction is disposed on the stationary frame. The stationary frame is disposed on the image forming machine, the first mounted object mounted on the stationary frame is a side cover that opens and closes one side of the image forming machine, and the second mounted object mounted on the stationary frame is It is preferable that the upper surface cover opens and closes the upper surface of the image forming apparatus.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of an interlock mechanism configured according to the present invention, which is applied to an image forming machine (not shown), for example, a printer, will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 4, substantially the same parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. Referring to FIG. 1, an interlock mechanism includes an interlock lever 2 supported on a stationary frame 10 of a printer having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.
0, a tension coil spring 30, which is a spring means interposed between the stationary frame 10 and the interlock lever 20, a receiving portion 40 for receiving one end 21 of the interlock lever 20, which will be described later, A front cover 50, which is a first attachment, and a top cover 60, which is a second attachment, are provided at respective positions. The interlock lever 20 is simply referred to as “lever 20” hereinafter. Also, in FIG. 1, the right side is a front side forming one side of the printer, the left side is a back side forming one side of the printer, and the near side is a left side and a back side of the printer when viewed from the front. When viewed from the front, the right side of the printer, the lower side defines the bottom surface, and the upper side defines the upper surface.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a stationary frame disposed on the right side of the printer so as to extend vertically, and reference numeral 12 denotes a stationary frame.
Shows a stationary frame disposed vertically on the front of the printer. A front cover 50, which is a side cover that opens and closes the front side, which is one side of the printer, has its lower end rotatably mounted on a stationary frame 12 via a pivot shaft (not shown), and an open position that opens the front of the printer. And a closed position (predetermined position) for closing the front. An upper cover 60 for opening and closing the upper surface of the printer.
One end (the left end in FIG. 1) is rotatably mounted on a stationary frame (not shown) on the back side of the printer via a rotating shaft (not shown). It can be opened and closed between a closed position (predetermined position) and a closed position. In FIG. 1, each of the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 is in a partially opened state (in practice, they may be fully opened, but for simplicity of illustration, they are in a half-open state). ).

The lever 20 is attached to the stationary frame 11 by the lever 20.
A lock position that is supported so as to be relatively movable in the longitudinal direction and is prevented from moving in one longitudinal end direction (a direction from the other end 22 described later to the one end 21 described later), and the movement is permitted. And is rotatably supported between the lock release position. The lever 20 having a slender planar shape and a substantially band shape as a whole has a constant thickness and flat surfaces. More specifically, the lever 20 is formed such that one end 21 has a semicircular shape when viewed from a plane, and the other end 22 has an arc shape when viewed from a plane. Therefore, one end 2 of the lever 20
1 is a semi-circular surface, and the other end 22 is formed to be an arc-shaped surface. The lever 20 extends linearly with a constant width from one end 21 to the other end thereof when viewed from a plane, but the width is gradually increased from the other end to the other end 22. One side in the width direction is inclined so as to gradually move away from the other side extending linearly from one end to the other end toward the other end 22. Therefore,
When the lever 20 is viewed from a plane, the length between both ends of the arc-shaped surface that defines the other end 22 of the lever 20 is formed larger than the diameter of the semicircular surface 21 that defines the one end 21 of the lever 20. . More generally, when the lever 20 is viewed from a plane, the width of the other end 22 of the lever 20 is defined to be larger than the width of the one end 21 of the lever 20.

An elongated hole 23 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed at a position near the other end of the lever 20. The long hole 23 is formed so as to extend linearly with a constant width, and both ends thereof are formed so as to form a semicircular shape. On the other hand, at the upper end of the stationary frame 11 and at a position close to the front of the printer, a support pin 13 is disposed so as to stand upright in the horizontal direction. The lever 20 is connected to the support pin 13 through the slot 23.
Therefore, it is supported inside the stationary frame 11 so as to be rotatable and relatively movable in the longitudinal direction. The diameter of the support pin 13 is formed to be slightly smaller than the width of the elongated hole 23 to allow the rotation and the relative movement. Although not shown, a head having a diameter larger than the width of the elongated hole 23 is preferably formed at the tip of the support pin 13 so that the lever 20 does not come off from the support pin 13. At a position of the lever 20 closer to one end of the lever 20 than one end of the elongated hole 23, a spring locking pin 24 is disposed so as to stand upright from one flat surface. Stationary frame 1
The other spring locking pin 14 is disposed at the upper end of the device 1 at a position closer to the front of the printer than the lever 20 so as to stand upright in the horizontal direction. Between the spring locking pin 14 of the stationary frame 11 and the spring locking pin 24 of the lever 20, a tension coil spring 30 as a spring means is interposed. A receiving portion 40 having an L-shaped cross section as viewed in the axial direction of the support pin 13 is provided at an upper end position of the stationary frame 12. The receiving portion 40 includes a bottom wall 41 extending substantially horizontally,
And a vertical wall 42 extending substantially vertically upward from one end on the front side of the bottom wall 41.

One end 21 of the lever 20 is removably received (locked) by the receiving portion 40, and the long hole 2 of the lever 20 is provided.
The lever 20 is positioned at the lock position with one end of the lever 3 positioned relatively close to the support pin 13 with a gap. Since the receiving portion 40 is arranged at a position slightly closer to the front side of the printer than the position vertically below the support pin 13, the lever 20 is
It is positioned so as to extend obliquely with respect to the vertical direction. With the lever 20 positioned at the lock position,
The tension coil spring 30 may be disposed so that its set load (tensile force) becomes substantially zero, but is preferably disposed such that a slight set load (tensile force) acts. As a result, the one end 21 of the lever 20 is pressed against the vertical wall 42 of the receiving portion 40 with a slight pressure, and the lever 20 is stably positioned at the lock position. Further, in a state where the lever 20 is located at the lock position, the lever 20 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 (rotation in a direction opposite to the direction from the lock position to the unlock position described below).
Is prevented by the vertical wall 42 of the receiving portion 40, and the movement of the lever 20 in one longitudinal end direction is prevented by the one end 21 of the lever 20 abutting the bottom wall 41 of the receiving portion 40.

In the state where the lever 20 is located at the lock position as described above, when a force from the front to the back of the printer (a force from right to left in FIG. 1) acts on one end of the lever 20, the lever 20 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 around the support pin 13 against the spring force of the tension coil spring 30. That is, the lever 20
The one end 21 is rotated to the unlocked position (the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) in which the one end 21 is detached from the receiving portion 40 (the locking is released). When the lever 20 is located at the unlock position, the other end 2 of the lever 20
When a force is applied to one end in the longitudinal direction, the lever 20
Is moved in the longitudinal one end direction (downward in FIGS. 3 and 4) against the spring force of the extension coil spring 30.

As is apparent from the above description, the extension coil spring 30 is provided with the stationary frame 11 so as to resist the rotation of the lever 20 from the lock position to the unlock position and the movement of the lever 20 from the unlock position to one end in the longitudinal direction. And the lever 20. The receiving portion 40 provided on the stationary frame 12 is configured to receive the one end 21 of the lever 20 to be positioned at the locked position, and to allow movement from the locked position to the unlocked position. The front cover 50 constituting the first attachment is directed to a side surface at one end of the lever 20 in a direction opposite to the direction from the locked position to the unlocked position (counterclockwise in FIG. 1). A forced projection 52 is formed to abut the side surface 25 for forcing the lever 20 from the locked position to the unlocked position. The forcible protrusion 52 is formed to extend substantially perpendicularly from the inside of the main body of the front cover 50. The front end of the front cover 50 on the opposite side to the pivot axis (not shown) is composed of a hanging portion extending perpendicularly inward and an edge extending perpendicularly outward from the leading end of the hanging portion. Has a substantially L shape.
On the top cover 60 constituting the second attachment, a forcible projection 62 is formed which is in contact with the other end 22 of the lever 20 to forcibly push the lever 20 in one longitudinal direction. The forcible protrusion 62 is formed to extend substantially at right angles from the inside of the main body of the top cover 60. The top end of the top cover 60 on the side opposite to the pivot axis (not shown) is formed by a hanging portion extending at right angles toward the inside, and has a substantially L-shaped cross section.

A switch 70 is provided on the stationary frame 11. The switch 70 is disposed on the stationary frame 11 so as to face the inner end of the upper end of the stationary frame 12 at an interval. The switch 70 is positioned so as to be turned on when the lever 20 is moved from the unlock position to one end in the longitudinal direction.

In the above-mentioned printer, a predetermined operation sequence is provided for the closing operation (closing operation) of the front cover 50 as the first mounted object and the upper cover 60 as the second mounted object. The operation sequence is such that the top cover 60 cannot be completely closed (cannot be positioned at a predetermined position) unless the front cover 50 is completely closed first (after being positioned at a predetermined position). Stipulated. In order to satisfy such a predetermined operation sequence, an interlock mechanism according to the present invention is provided. In FIG. 1, the front cover 50 and the top cover 6
Each of the 0s is partially open. The lever 20 is located at the lock position. In the state where each of the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 is not closed (open state), if the above operation sequence is mistaken and the top cover 60 is first closed, the top cover 60 is forcibly forced. The tip of the projection 62 is brought into contact with the other end 22 of the lever 20 positioned at the lock position, and its movement is prevented (see FIG. 2). The lever 20 is forcibly forced in one longitudinal direction by the forcible protrusion 62 of the upper surface cover 60. 1 (in FIG. 1, the direction slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction when viewed in the axial direction of the support pin 13).
The locking position is securely held by the receiving portion 40 only by pressing the receiving portion 1 against the receiving portion 40. as a result,
As shown in FIG. 2, the upper cover 60 is held in a partially open state, and is reliably prevented from being closed earlier than the front cover 50.

In this state, when the front cover 50 is rotated in the closing direction, the side surface 2 at one end of the lever 20 is rotated.
5 is brought into contact with the tip of the forcing projection 52 of the front cover 50, the lever 20 is forced by the front cover 50, and the other end 22 of the lever 20 is brought into contact with the tip of the forcing projection 62 of the top cover 60. It is rotated to the lock release position while relatively rotating in the state of being turned. The rotation of the lever 20 is, of course, around the support pin 13 and is performed against the tensile force of the tension coil spring 30. By this operation, the front cover 5
0 is completely closed (see FIG. 3). Since the one end 21 of the lever 20 is formed in a semicircular surface, when the lever 20 is forcibly moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, it can be smoothly separated from the receiving portion 40. Between the front cover 50 and the printer, an appropriate opening / closing lock means that can use a configuration known per se is arranged, and the closed state of the front cover 50 is releasably locked. When viewed in the axial direction of the support pin 13, the lever 20 moves from a locked position (position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) inclined with respect to the vertical direction to an unlocked position (position shown in FIG. 3) substantially coincident with the vertical direction. ) To be positioned. In this state as well, the rotation stroke of the lever 20 and the circumference of the The length in the direction, the initial contact position of the tip of the forcible protrusion 62 of the top cover 60 with the other end 22 of the lever 20, and the like are set. The side surface 25 at one end of the lever 20 is also pulled by the tension force of the tension coil spring 30.
Abuts (presses) on the tip of the forced protrusion 52 of the front cover 50
It is kept in the state of being made. One end 21 of lever 20
Is moved to a position where it is locked and released from the receiving portion 40.

When the top cover 60 is rotated in the closing direction with the front cover 50 completely closed as described above, the lever 2 positioned at the unlock position is opened.
0 indicates that the other end 22 has a forced protrusion 62
Is forced to move toward one end in the longitudinal direction. The movement of the lever 20 in one longitudinal end direction is performed against the spring force of the extension coil spring 30. The side surface 25 of the lever 20 is relatively moved in a state where the side surface 25 is in contact with (presses against) the tip of the forcible protrusion 52 of the front cover 50. The top cover 60 is completely closed (see FIG. 4). Between the upper cover 60 and the printer, a suitable opening / closing lock means that can use a configuration known per se is provided, and the closed state of the upper cover 60 is releasably locked. FIG.
As shown in (1), the switch 70 is turned on by the movement of the lever 20 from the unlocked position toward one end in the longitudinal direction. The ON operation of the switch 70 reliably detects that the front cover 50 and the top cover 60, which are the two attachments, are completely closed, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, when each of the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 is opened from the state in which each of the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 is completely closed, the top cover 60 is The operation order is specified so that the front cover 50 cannot be opened until after opening. Incorrect the above operation order,
When opening the front cover 50 first, the front cover 5
The leading end of the top cover 60 interferes with the leading end of the top cover 60 and is prevented from moving in the opening direction. On the other hand, when the top cover 60 is first opened according to the above operation sequence, the lever 20 is returned to the unlock position in the other longitudinal direction by the spring force of the extension coil spring 30 (see FIG. 3). The switch 70 is turned off. In a state in which the top cover 60 is opened until the lever 20 is returned to the unlock position, the front cover 50 may be opened after the top cover 60 is completely opened, or the front cover 50 may be opened.
The upper cover 60 may be further opened after the opening of the upper cover 0. In any case, when the front cover 50 is opened to some extent from the above state, the lever 20 is rotated from the unlocked position to the locked position by the spring force of the extension coil spring 30, and one end 21 of the lever 20 is received by the receiving portion 40. And the locked position is maintained (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Since one end 21 of the lever 20 is formed in a semicircular surface, the lever 2
When the “0” is turned from the unlocked position to the locked position, it is possible to smoothly perform locking to the receiving portion 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 are each opened and the front cover 50 is first turned toward the closed position in a correct operation sequence, the lever 20 is locked. From the position to the unlock position, and the front cover 50 is completely closed. Next, when the upper surface cover 60 is moved toward the closed position, the lever 20 is forced by the upper surface cover 60 and is moved from the unlocked position toward one end in the longitudinal direction, so that the upper surface cover 60 is completely closed. Switch 70 is ON
Becomes

The interlock mechanism according to the present invention has the lever 20 in the locked position and the front cover 50.
When the top cover 60 is moved (rotated) toward the closed position in a state in which the lever 20 is not closed, the other end 21 of the lever 20 is moved.
When the front cover 50 is moved (rotated) toward the closed position, the lever 20 is forced by the front cover 50 and pivots to the unlocked position. When the front cover 50 is completely closed (see FIG. 3) and the top cover 60 is further moved toward the closed position, the other end 22 is forced by the top cover 60 so that the lever 20 moves toward one longitudinal end. Since the top cover 60 is configured to be completely closed by being moved, even if the top cover 60 is first closed by mistake in a preset correct operation sequence, the movement is positioned in the locked position. Cannot be completely closed by the lever 20 (see FIG. 2). As a result, the top cover 60 is reliably prevented from closing before the front cover 50. Further, when the front cover 50 and the top cover 60, which are the two attachments, are positioned at the predetermined closed positions (when they are completely closed), even if the predetermined operation sequence is mistaken, the top cover 6 that is erroneously closed first is mistaken.
Top cover 6 closed without reopening 0
0, the front cover 50 can be completely closed after the front cover 50 is completely closed.
Useless operation of opening the top cover 60 again is eliminated, and the operation burden on the operator can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

In a state where the lever 20 is located at the lock position and the front cover 50 is not closed, the upper cover 60 is moved toward the closed position.
When the hand is released from the upper surface cover 60 in a state where the upper surface cover 60 is in contact with the other end 21 of the lever 20 and its movement is prevented, the upper cover 60 is brought into contact with the other end 22 of the lever 20 by a spring (not shown) (FIG. 2). In some embodiments, the spring is returned from the position (shown in FIG. 1) further upward (for example, the position shown in FIG. 1), and the partially opened state is held by a spring. Also in this case, the top cover 60
Can be completely closed and the top cover 60 can be completely closed after the front cover 50 is completely closed. Therefore, as in the illustrated embodiment, a wasteful operation of reopening the top cover 60 is eliminated, and the operator's operation is eliminated. The operation burden can be reduced.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, the lever 20 is moved to the closed position in a state where the lever 20 is located at the locked position and the front cover 50 is not closed, and is brought into contact with the other end 22 of the lever 20. The top cover 60, whose movement has been prevented, is connected to the other end 22 of the lever 20.
(Specifically, the upper cover 60 is held by its own weight), the front cover 50 is further moved toward the closed position, and the lever 20 is forced on the front cover 50. When the lever 20 is rotated to the unlock position, the other end 22 of the lever 20 is relatively rotated while being substantially in contact with the top cover 60. When positioning the front cover 50 in the predetermined closed position, even if the predetermined operation order is mistaken, the front cover 50 is completely closed without leaving the top cover 60 closed earlier. It is possible to easily, smoothly and reliably perform the closing operation.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, the upper cover 60 is formed with a forcible projection 62 which is brought into contact with the other end 22 of the lever 20 to force the lever 20 in one longitudinal direction. When the other end 22 is formed to form an arc-shaped surface, the lever 2
The relative rotation between the other end 22 of the front cover 60 and the forcible protrusion 62 of the top cover 60 can be easily, smoothly, and reliably performed.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, the front cover 50 contacts the side surface 25 at one end of the lever 20 which is turned in a direction opposite to the direction from the locked position to the unlocked position. When the forced protrusion 52 is formed to force the lever 20 from the locked position to the unlocked position by being brought into contact therewith,
This enables the operation of forcibly moving (rotating) the lever 20 from the locked position to the unlocked position to be easily, smoothly, and reliably performed.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, when the top cover 60 is moved toward the closed position and the lever 20 is moved in one longitudinal direction in a state where the lever 20 is rotated to the unlock position. , Lever 2
When the side surface 25 of the front cover 50 is configured to be relatively moved while being in contact with the forcible protrusion 52 of the front cover 50, the closing operation of the top cover 60 can be easily performed.
It enables smooth and reliable execution.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, the lever 20 is formed with the elongated hole 23 extending in the longitudinal direction, the stationary frame 11 is provided with the support pin 13, and the lever 20 is inserted through the elongated hole 23. When the support frame 13 is configured to be rotatably and movably supported in the longitudinal direction, the stationary frame 11 can be rotatably and movably moved in the longitudinal direction with a relatively simple configuration. It is possible to support.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, when the top cover 60 is completely closed, a switch 70 that is turned on by the lever 20 that is moved from the unlocked position to one end in the longitudinal direction is provided on the stationary frame 11. In this case, the front cover 50 and the top cover 60
Can be easily and reliably detected as being completely closed.

In the interlock mechanism according to the present invention, the stationary frame 10 is provided in the printer, and the stationary frame 10 (1
The first attachment attached to 2) is a side cover (front cover 50) that opens and closes one side (front) of the printer, and the first attachment attached to the stationary frame 10 covers the top of the printer. When the upper cover 60 is configured to be opened and closed, when the front cover 50 and the upper cover 60 of the printer are completely closed, even if the predetermined operation sequence is mistaken, the upper cover erroneously closed first. The upper cover 60 can be completely closed after the front cover 50 is completely closed without closing the upper cover 60 without reopening the same, so that the operation burden on the operator is reduced as compared with the conventional case. be able to.

As described above, the interlock mechanism according to the present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Deformation or modification is possible. For example, in the above embodiment of the present invention, the lever 2
0 is supported by a stationary frame 11 disposed on the right side of the printer, and at a position related to the lever 20, a support pin 13, a spring locking pin 14, a tension coil spring 30, a receiving portion 40, The switches 70 and the like are provided, but in terms of balance, they are also provided at symmetrical positions of the stationary frame 11 (not shown) provided on the left side surface of the printer (a pair is provided in total). Is preferred. Further, in another embodiment, if layout permits, the lever 20 and its related members or the receiving portion 40 are disposed at a central position between the right side surface and the left side surface of the printer. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the two attachments are both constituted by the front cover 50 and the top cover 60 which are openable and closable covers, but the two attachments in the present invention are not limited to these. One of them is, for example, another attachment such as a process unit or a paper feed cassette, which is detachably positioned (attached) to a predetermined position of the image forming machine.

[0032]

According to the interlock mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, when positioning two mounted objects at a predetermined position, even if the predetermined operation sequence is mistaken, the two mounted objects can be reduced while reducing the operation burden on the operator. Can be positioned at predetermined positions. Further, it is possible to reliably detect that the two attachments have been positioned at the predetermined positions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a main part of an interlock mechanism according to the present invention provided in a laser printer, with a part thereof cut away.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing another operation mode of the interlock mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing still another operation mode of the interlock mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing still another operation mode of the interlock mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 11, 12 Stationary frame 13 Support pin 20 Interlock lever 21 One end (semicircular surface) 22 The other end (Arc surface) 23 Slot 25 Side surface of interlock lever 30 Tension coil spring 40 Receiving part 50 Front cover ( First attachment) 52 Forced protrusion 60 Top cover (second attachment) 62 Forced protrusion 70 Switch

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Murakami 1-2-28 Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Inside Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-9-190061 (JP, A) JP-A-10 −39603 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) E05C 7/06 B41J 29/54 G03G 15/00 550

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. An interlock lever supported by a stationary frame so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction and rotatable between a lock position and an unlock position where movement in one longitudinal direction is prevented, A spring means interposed between the stationary frame and the lever so as to resist the rotation from the locked position to the unlocked position and the movement from the unlocked position to one end in the longitudinal direction; A receiving portion that receives one end of the lever and positions the lock position and allows the movement from the lock position to the unlock position; first and second attachments respectively positioned at predetermined positions of the stationary frame; When the second attachment is moved toward the predetermined position in a state where the first attachment is not located at the predetermined position and the second attachment is moved to the other end of the lever, the movement is performed. When the first attachment is moved toward the predetermined position, the lever is forced by the first attachment and rotated to the unlock position, and the first attachment is positioned at the predetermined position. When the second attachment is further moved toward the predetermined position, the other end of the lever is forced by the second attachment and is moved toward one end in the longitudinal direction, and the second attachment is moved to the predetermined position. An interlock mechanism characterized by being positioned. 2. The lever is moved to a predetermined position in a state where the lever is positioned at the lock position and the first attachment is not positioned at the predetermined position, and abuts on the other end of the lever to move the lever. The blocked second attachment is held in a state of substantially abutting the other end of the lever, and the first attachment is moved toward a predetermined position, and the lever is moved to the first position.
2. The interlock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein when the attachment is forcibly rotated to the unlocked position, the other end of the lever is relatively rotated while substantially abutting the second attachment. 3. The second attachment has a forcible projection formed in contact with the other end of the lever to force the lever in one longitudinal direction, and the other end of the lever has an arcuate surface. 3. The interlock mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the interlock mechanism is formed so as to form: 4. The first attachment is brought into contact with a side surface at one end of the lever, the side surface being directed in a rotation direction opposite to a direction from a lock position to a lock release position. The interlock mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a forcible protrusion for forcing the lever from the locked position to the unlocked position is formed. 5. When the second attachment is moved toward a predetermined position while the lever is rotated to the unlock position, and the lever is moved toward one end in the longitudinal direction, the position of the lever is reduced. The interlock mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the side surface is relatively moved in a state where the side surface is in contact with the forcible protrusion of the first attachment. 6. A long hole extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the lever, a support pin is provided in the stationary frame, and the lever is rotatable with respect to the support pin through the long hole and in the longitudinal direction. The interlock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the interlock mechanism is movably supported on the interlock mechanism. 7. The stationary frame is provided with a switch which is turned on by the lever which is moved from the unlocked position to one end in the longitudinal direction when the second mounted article is positioned at a predetermined position. 7. The interlock mechanism according to claim 6. 8. The stationary frame is disposed on the image forming machine, the first attachment mounted on the stationary frame is a side cover for opening and closing one side of the image forming machine, and the first attachment mounted on the stationary frame. The interlock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the attachment (2) is an upper surface cover that opens and closes an upper surface of the image forming apparatus.