JP4105943B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that reads an image of a document and forms the image on a sheet. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit that facilitates document setting and reading operations.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the increasing social advancement of disabled people, attempts have been made in each product field to pursue ease of use so that users with various different body conditions can be accommodated. Similar attempts have been made in the field of office equipment (OA equipment) including image forming apparatuses such as copying machines and printers. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119498, a disabled person who uses a wheelchair can operate by changing the angle of the operation panel of the copier or by projecting the operation panel to the front surface of the copier body. Copiers designed for easy operation have been proposed.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-119498
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the copying machine proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119498, the operability is improved by moving the operation angle and arrangement position of the operation panel. An image reading unit including a paper feed tray and an optical reading unit is fixed at a position as it is. For this reason, when a disabled person using a wheelchair operates the copying machine, there is a problem that although the operation panel can be reached, it is difficult to perform an operation such as setting a document on a paper feed tray.
[0005]
In particular, in an “in-body discharge type copier” which has become the mainstream in recent years, an image reading unit is disposed above an image forming unit across a certain space, and the space is used as a sheet discharge unit. As a result, the copier is made compact in the width direction. For this reason, there is a problem that the image reading unit is at a higher position, and the document cannot be set or read at a lower position.
[0006]
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus in which a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair can easily set and remove a document or perform various reading operations.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an image reading unit that performs an image reading operation of an original, and an image that forms an image read by the image reading unit on a sheet. Between the forming unit, the first operation position located above the image forming unit, and the second operation position that descends from the first operation position and protrudes in a predetermined direction from the image forming unit. A movable support member that movably supports the image reading unit, wherein the image reading unit is rotatably supported in the vertical direction with one end pivotally supported by the movable support member as a rotation axis. To do.
[0008]
According to this invention, the image reading unit is configured to be movable through the movable support member from the first operation position where the image reading unit is operated to the second operation position where the image reading unit can be operated while sitting on the chair. Therefore, it is normally in the first operation position, and when used by a disabled person such as a wheelchair, it can be appropriately moved to the second operation position.
[0009]
In addition, in an image forming apparatus in which a discharge unit that discharges an image-formed sheet is provided in the apparatus main body, by using the discharge space, a gap between the first operation position and the second operation position is obtained. Thus, the image reading unit can be moved.
[0010]
In addition, since the second operation position can be moved through the movable support member in either the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction in the image forming unit or in the left or right direction parallel thereto, the image forming apparatus is arranged. It is possible to move to the optimum operation position according to the installation position and the user's posture.
[0011]
Since the movable support member is provided with a restricting means that can be stopped at a predetermined position between the first operation position and the second operation position, the original can be set or read at a position optimal for the user's operation posture. It can be performed. Further, by setting the stationary position so as to avoid the sheet discharge portion, the discharge can be smoothly performed without hindering the conveyance of the image-formed sheet.
[0012]
Further, the image reading unit supports one end on the movable support member and the other end can be tilted in the vertical direction, so that the other end of the image reading unit is raised when the image reading unit is lowered to the second operation position. By rotating, it becomes easy to take out the sheets stacked on the discharge unit.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0015]
1 and 2 show an image forming apparatus 21 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a view as seen from the front side where the operation is performed, and FIG. 2 is a view as seen from the side. is there. The image forming apparatus 21 includes an apparatus main body 22 having a built-in image forming section (not shown) and an image reading section 23 for performing document setting and reading operations. The image reading section 23 is the apparatus main body 22. A movable support member 24 is movably attached to the upper side of the upper side of the upper side of the upper side of the upper side of the upper side.
[0016]
In addition to the image forming unit, the apparatus main body unit 22 supplies a plurality of sheet feeding units 25 that feed sheets of a predetermined size to the image forming unit, and feeds sheets from the sheet feeding unit 25 to form the image. And sheet conveying means 28 for conveying to the first discharge unit 26 or the second discharge unit 27. The first discharge unit 26 is provided in the body of the apparatus main body 22, and the second discharge unit 27 is provided so as to protrude from the side surface of the apparatus main body 22, and the first discharge unit 26 is provided by a distribution unit 29 provided in the middle of the sheet conveyance path 28. The paper is sorted and delivered to either one of the first discharge unit 26 and the second discharge unit 27. This sort control includes a position detection unit 30 of the image reading unit 23 provided on the movable support member 24, and an apparatus main body unit that determines a paper discharge direction by the distribution unit 29 based on a detection signal from the position detection unit 30. This is performed by a control means (not shown) incorporated in 22.
[0017]
The image reading unit 23 is compatible with both a fixed original reading mode for reading a book-type original and a moving original reading mode for reading and reading one original at a time. An image reading means of a common optical system is provided in the reading mode. The image reading unit 23 includes a box-shaped case 31 in which the image reading unit is accommodated, an operation panel 32 provided with a touch key, a liquid crystal monitor, and the like provided on the surface of the case 31. A platen glass for reading a fixed document covering the upper surface, a sheet feeding tray 33 necessary for use in the moving document reading mode, and a sheet feeding unit 35 having a sheet discharge tray 34 for discharging the read document. ing. A handle 36 for moving the entire image reading unit 23 is provided in the vicinity of the operation panel 32.
[0018]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movable support member 24 includes a plurality of arms 37 for cantilevering one end of the image reading unit 23 with respect to the apparatus main body 22. Two arms 37 are arranged in parallel in the front side A on which the operation panel 32 of the image reading unit 23 is provided and in the rear side B direction corresponding to the back side thereof, and the end portions of the arms 37 are arranged in parallel. The device main body 22 and the image reading unit 23 are attached to one end of the image reading unit 23 via a rotary shaft 38 so as to be rotatable. Also, either one of the front-side A and rear-side B arms 37 is provided with a protruding regulating member (stopper 39) for stopping the arm 37 at a predetermined rotation angle when the arm 37 is rotated. ing. FIG. 1 shows a state where the image reading unit 23 is installed at a position (first operation position P1) where a document is set or read in a normal standing posture. When the image reading unit 23 is lowered from this state, the handle 36 provided at one end of the image reading unit 23 is grasped, and the image reading unit 23 is lowered by pushing downward while applying a force in the right direction in the drawing.
[0019]
FIG. 3 shows a low position (second line indicated by a one-dot chain line) where the image reading unit 23 can be set and read in a state where the image reading unit 23 is sitting on a wheelchair or the like from the first operation position P1 above the apparatus main body 22 This shows a state of protruding to the operation position P2). This protruding direction is the same as the sheet conveying direction, and is set to the left and right side surfaces of the apparatus main body 22. As described above, since the image reading unit 23 is rotatably connected to the apparatus main body unit 22 by the pair of arms 37 arranged in parallel, the image reading unit 23 is held horizontally. It can be moved up and down while sliding left and right. Further, by moving to the second operation position P2, the position is detected by the position detection means 30 constituted by a sensor using light, magnetism, etc. and a detection body 30a that approaches or contacts this sensor, Based on the detection signal, the distribution means 29 is operated. The distribution unit 29 discharges the image-formed sheet to one of the first discharge unit 26 and the second discharge unit 27. By providing the distribution means 29, when the image reading unit 23 is at the first operation position P1, it is discharged to the first discharge unit 26, and when moved to the second operation position P2, the second discharge unit The sheet can be discharged to 27 to facilitate removal. The arm 37 is provided with a transmission path for transferring image data read by the image reading unit 23 to an image forming unit in the apparatus main body 22.
[0020]
4 and 5 show an image forming apparatus 41 according to the second embodiment in which the image reading unit 23 is configured to be inclined obliquely upward from a horizontal state with the rotation shaft 38a of the arm 37 as a fulcrum. Similar to the image forming apparatus 21 of the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 41 includes an apparatus main body 22 including an image forming unit, and an image reading unit 23 attached from the apparatus main body 22 via a plurality of arms 37. It consists of and. The configuration of the apparatus main body 22, the arm 37, and the image reading unit 23 is the same as that of the image forming apparatus 21 of the first embodiment described above, but differs in the mounting structure of the image reading unit 23 to the arm 37. That is, one rotating shaft 38a on each of the front side and the rear side that supports the image reading unit 23 is rotatably supported, but the other rotating shaft 38b has a groove provided at the lower end portion of the image reading unit 23. It is only fitted into 42 from above. Therefore, in a normal state, the image reading unit 23 maintains a horizontal state, but the one that is not supported by the movable support member 24 (the left end portion of the image reading unit 23 in the drawing) is lifted upward, thereby rotating the rotation axis. It becomes possible to rotate with 38a as a fulcrum. For this reason, the space below the image reading unit 23 can be set wide.
[0021]
By adopting such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the reading operation is performed at the second operation position P <b> 2 where the image reading unit 23 is lowered close to the upper surface of the first discharge unit 26. The image-formed sheet discharged to the first discharge unit 26 can be taken out. Further, since the position detection unit 30, the distribution unit 29, and these control units of the image reading unit 23 described above are provided, it is possible to distribute the sheets to the first discharge unit 26 and the second discharge unit 27 for discharge. .
[0022]
FIG. 6 shows a low position (second dashed line indicated by a one-dot chain line) where the image reading unit 23 can be set and read while sitting on a wheelchair or the like from the first operation position P1 above the apparatus main body 22. The image forming apparatus 51 according to the third embodiment is configured to be able to be pulled out to the front (direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction in the apparatus main body 22) while sliding down the operation panel 32 surface to the operation position P2). The image forming apparatus 51 has the same configuration as the image forming apparatuses 21 and 41 of the first and second embodiments, but the support position of the image reading unit 23 and the mounting position of the arm 37 are different. That is, in the image forming apparatus 51 of this embodiment, the support location by the arm 37 is set on the left and right side surfaces on the rear side of the image reading unit 23, and the support location of the apparatus main body 22 is also set on the rear side. In addition, two arms 37 are arranged in parallel on each of the left and right side surfaces of the image reading unit 23 and the apparatus main body unit 22, and are arranged rotatably at respective end portions through a rotation shaft 38. With this configuration, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 6, the image reading unit 23 can be lowered while maintaining the horizontal state in the direction of the operation panel 32. This lowered position is regulated by a stopper 39 provided on one side of the arm 37. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the lowered position of the image reading unit 23 by appropriately setting the position where the stopper 39 is disposed. When the image reading unit 23 has moved to the second operation position P2 by the position detection unit 30 provided on the movable support member 24, an image is formed by the position detection unit 30 provided on the movable support member 24. The discharged sheets are distributed to either the first discharge unit 26 or the second discharge unit 27 and discharged.
[0023]
In FIG. 7, in addition to the lowering operation of the image reading unit 23 in the image forming apparatus 51 of the third embodiment, the operation panel 32 side protruding from the front side of the apparatus main body 22 is configured to be rotatable upward. This is an image forming apparatus 61 according to the fourth embodiment. Similar to the image forming apparatus 41 of the second embodiment described above, this rotating structure is realized by using one rotating shaft 38a supporting the image reading device 23 as a fulcrum and making the other rotating shaft 38b free. Is done. With this configuration, it becomes easy to take out the discharged original when the image reading unit 23 is lowered.
[0024]
FIG. 8 shows an operation example when the user M using a wheelchair uses the image forming apparatus 51 in the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8A, the user M proceeds to the front of the image forming apparatus 51 while riding on the wheelchair. The image reading unit 23 at this time is in the first operation position P1 operated in a normal standing state. Then, the handle 36 provided on the front surface of the image reading unit 23 is grasped, and is slid down while being pulled out toward the user M and stopped at a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 8B, the image reading unit 23 moves to the second operation position P2 that is lower than the first operation position P1, so that the user M remains in the state of sitting in the wheelchair. It is possible to specify the copy size and the number of copies of the original from the set. In particular, as the image reading unit 23 is lowered, the user M can be pulled out by the width T toward the knee side, so that the operation can be performed without reaching out.
[0025]
As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the image reading unit is configured to be movable up and down with respect to the apparatus main body having the image forming unit. The image forming apparatus can be operated at an arbitrary stationary position between the sitting state.
[0026]
Further, when the image reading unit is lowered to the lowest position, the image reading unit protrudes in parallel as it is from the apparatus main body. Therefore, when the user using a wheelchair or the like operates, the protruding image The knee can be stored under the reading unit. For this reason, it is possible to set and read a document with an easy posture without reaching for the image reading unit.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an elevating operation of an image reading unit in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a front view of a second embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an opening / closing operation of an image reading unit in the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a side view of a third embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an opening / closing operation of an image reading unit in the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a usage example of the image forming apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
21, 41, 51, 61 Image forming apparatus 22 Main body 23 Image reading section 24 Movable support member 26 First discharge section 27 Second discharge section 30 Position detection means 32 Operation panel 37 Arm 39 Stopper P1 First operation position P2 Second operation position

Claims (2)

An image reading unit for reading an image of a document;
An image forming unit that forms an image read by the image reading unit on a sheet;
The image reading unit is placed between a first operation position located above the image forming unit and a second operation position that descends from the first operation position and protrudes in a predetermined direction from the image forming unit. A movable support member that is movably supported;
An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image reading section is rotatable in the vertical direction with one end axially supported by the movable support member as a rotation axis. An image reading unit for reading an image of a document;
An image forming unit that forms an image read by the image reading unit on a sheet;
An image forming apparatus including a discharge unit that is provided between the image reading unit and the image forming unit and discharges a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit,
Between a first operation position located above the image forming unit and a second operation position that descends from the first operation position toward the discharge unit and protrudes from the image forming unit in a predetermined direction. And a movable support member that movably supports the image reading unit,
An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image reading section is rotatable in the vertical direction with one end axially supported by the movable support member as a rotation axis.

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