JP4161496B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which an openable / closable reading unit and a platen cover are provided on an image forming unit, and in particular, when the reading unit is opened while the platen cover is open, the platen cover is closed with respect to the reading unit. The present invention relates to such an image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An image forming apparatus in which a reading unit is disposed on an image forming unit so as to be openable and closable, and a platen cover can be opened and closed with respect to the reading unit is generally used as an apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a facsimile machine. Yes. The image forming unit of the image forming apparatus uses an apparatus that records on a recording medium using an electrophotographic system, and transmits information on the image of the document read by the reading unit to the image forming unit. When the reading unit is configured as a flatbed scanner, the original set on the platen glass is pressed by the platen cover to correspond to the reading operation. When replacing the original or performing maintenance of the reading unit The platen cover is opened at a predetermined angle.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When performing maintenance on the image forming unit, the reading unit is opened through a hinge provided in the image forming unit, and the maintenance work is performed with the reading unit open. However, the reading unit may be opened with the platen cover opened first, and if the reading unit is opened as it is, the platen cover will swing greatly, colliding with a wall or the like and being damaged. Problems occur. In particular, when a heavy object such as an automatic document feeder (ADF) is arranged on the platen cover, a biasing means such as a spring is arranged on the hinge portion that supports the platen cover, and the opening angle of the platen cover is set. If the platen cover is accidentally opened while the reading unit is open, the platen cover will open vigorously and may collide with surrounding fixed objects and damage the ADF. Problems may occur.
[0004]
The present invention is intended to solve the above-described problems of the conventional image forming apparatus. When the reading unit is opened with the platen cover open, the platen cover is placed in a direction close to the reading unit. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus provided with a regulating member for swinging.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming unit, a reading unit that can be opened and closed via a hinge provided on an upper frame with respect to the image forming unit, and an upper portion of the reading unit. In the image forming apparatus having a platen cover that opens and closes in a direction, a rod member provided on the hinge side of the reading unit so as to be slidable with respect to a holding cylinder member fixed behind the reading unit is provided on the platen cover. The rod member is placed between the provided stopper and the upper frame and the lower end of the stopper is in contact with the upper frame. When the reading unit is opened with the platen cover open, the rod member is pushed upward. In this case, the platen cover is regulated so as not to open any more by contacting the stopper. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the platen cover from opening unexpectedly and being damaged.
[0006]
Even when the reading unit is opened with the platen cover open, the platen cover swings in the closing direction with respect to the reading unit, so that the opening angle of the platen cover with respect to the image forming unit does not increase, and the platen cover An accident in which the cover collides with an object behind can be prevented.
[0007]
The rod member has an elastic action. And since a rod member has an elastic effect | action, a platen cover cannot be closed rapidly and it can prevent damaging a platen.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated example. An image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is openable and closable via a hinge 8 with respect to an image forming unit 2 disposed at a lower portion, a reading unit 5 disposed on the image forming unit 2, and a hinge 8. And a platen cover 7. The reading unit 5 and the platen cover 7 are supported by a base frame 3 provided separately so that the weight of the upper unit is not directly applied to the image forming unit 2. The image forming unit 2 is configured as an apparatus capable of recording on a recording medium using an electrophotographic method, but may be configured by arranging a known copy creation mechanism having an arbitrary configuration.
[0009]
In the reading unit 5, a scanning device that is movable along the lower surface of the platen is arranged similarly to an image reading device that is generally used in the past, and is set on the platen and pressed by the platen cover 7. Read the image. Then, the image information obtained by the reading unit 5 is transmitted to the image forming unit 2 and recorded on a recording medium. Further, the member shown as the platen cover 7 includes an automatic document feeder (ADF) in addition to a general platen cover configured by arranging an elastic body that presses the document on the lower surface of the plate, and a flat bed. This also includes a case where the apparatus is configured as an apparatus that can arbitrarily use the scanner function and the ADF function.
[0010]
The upper units 5 and 7 supported by the base frame 3 are provided so that the reading unit 5 can be opened and closed with respect to the image forming unit 2 via a hinge 6 provided on the upper frame 4 of the base frame 3. The hinge 6 connects a lower bracket 6a provided on the upper frame 4 and a lower bracket 6b provided on the lower surface of the reading unit 5 by a shaft 6c. In addition, the hinge 6 is provided with auxiliary means by an elastic member for making it possible to easily open the heavy reading unit 5 and for fixing and holding the reading unit 5 in the open position. The configuration of the auxiliary means is omitted. The hinge 8 that supports the platen cover 7 is configured to support the shaft provided on the platen cover 7 with respect to the bracket 8a provided on the reading unit 5. However, the hinge 8 also supports the platen cover. Providing auxiliary means that can hold 7 in the open state is the same as in the case of a conventional general image forming apparatus.
[0011]
As described above, the two upper units that can be opened and closed by using the hinges 6 and 8 provided with the auxiliary means are relatively heavy because each unit is provided with an operating member. Even when configured as described above, the opening and closing operation of the unit can be easily performed. Opening the reading unit 5 from the image forming unit 2 is, for example, when maintenance of a copy creation mechanism of the image forming unit 2 is performed. When the reading unit 5 is to be opened, the platen cover 7 is attached to the reading unit 5. Of course, it is desirable to fix and hold it so that it does not open.
[0012]
However, if the reading unit 5 is opened while the platen cover 7 is opened with respect to the reading unit 5 due to carelessness of the operator or the like, the platen cover 7 that has been opened first is greatly swung back. Problems such as being moved and colliding with a wall or other object behind the apparatus to be damaged. Therefore, in order to prevent the occurrence of the inconvenient state as described above, in the present embodiment, the opening degree regulating member 10 is disposed at the hinge side end of the reading unit 5, and the reading unit 5 is opened and closed. The opening angle of the platen cover 7 is regulated.
[0013]
The opening restriction member 10 is configured as shown in FIG. 2, and a rod member 12 slidable with respect to a holding cylinder member 11 fixed behind the reading unit 5 is disposed, and the rod member 12 is arranged. A large-diameter member 13 is provided on the upper portion of the rod to limit the lower limit of the rod member 12. The rod member 12 is provided so as to be positioned between the upper surface of the upper frame 4 and a stopper 14 provided on the platen cover 7. For example, the rod member 12 is configured using a member such as an oil damper and has a large diameter. The member on the member 13 can be configured so as to be able to appear and disappear with respect to the lower member. When the rod member 12 is formed of a member such as an oil damper, it easily follows the axial pressing action, but when the pressing action is released, the rod member 12 is slowly returned to the platen. There is no sudden action in the direction of opening the cover 7 from the reading unit. The rod member 12 may be a rod-like member in which an elastic body such as another rubber rod is provided at a predetermined portion in the length direction of the rod member.
[0014]
FIG. 3 shows a state in which the reading unit 5 and the platen cover 7 are opened with respect to the base frame 3. In this explanatory diagram, for example, the reading unit 5 is opened with the platen cover 7 open. Further, the operation of the opening degree regulating member 10 when opened is described. As shown in this example, when the reading unit 5 is opened while the platen cover 7 is opened, the opening degree regulating member 10 provided in the reading unit 5 is moved upward by the rod member 12 being pushed upward. It contacts the stopper 14 of the cover 7. The platen cover 7 is regulated so as not to be opened any more. When the reading unit 5 is further opened from this state, the rod member 12 pushes up the stopper 14 of the platen cover 7 and the rod member 12 acts so that the platen cover 7 is closed with respect to the reading unit 5. Therefore, even if the reading unit 5 is opened with the platen cover 7 opened, the platen cover 7 is stopped at a fixed angle with respect to the reading unit 5 by the rod member 12, and the reading unit 5 is further moved from this state. When the platen cover 7 is to be opened, the rod member 12 acts so as to close the platen cover 7 with respect to the reading unit 5.
[0015]
In the image forming apparatus 1 using the opening degree regulating member 10 configured as described above, the opening / closing operation of the upper swing unit with respect to the image forming unit 2 is restricted as shown in FIGS. The example shown in FIG. 4 shows a state in which the reading unit 5 is opened with the platen cover 7 closed. As shown in this example, the maximum angle θ1 when only the reading unit 5 is opened is The maximum opening angle by the hinge 6 is obtained. The example shown in FIG. 5 shows a state in which only the platen cover 7 is opened with respect to the reading unit 5, and the opening angle θ of the platen cover 7 is such that the rod member 12 contacts the side surface of the opening degree regulating member 10. The contact angle is the maximum opening angle.
[0016]
For each of the embodiments described above, FIG. 6 illustrates a state in which the reading unit 5 is opened by mistake with the platen cover 7 first opened. When the reading unit 5 is opened from the state of FIG. 5, the reading unit 5 swings while being regulated by the opening degree regulating member 10 so as to be close to the platen cover 7 as the opening angle of the reading unit 5 increases. Since the reading unit 5 swings via the hinge 6 while the rod member 12 whose top and bottom are regulated slides relative to the holding cylinder member 11 held by the reading unit 5, the platen cover 7, the position of the upper end portion of the rod member 12 changes. Finally, the upper end portion of the rod member 12 abuts against the stopper 14, and the opening angle of the platen cover 7 with respect to the upper frame 4 is restricted.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 6, when the reading unit 5 is opened at the maximum angle, the angle formed by the upper frame 4 and the reading unit 5 is θ1, and the angle between the reading unit 5 and the platen cover 7 is θ2. The sum of the angles θ1 and θ2 is regulated so as to be substantially equal to the maximum opening angle θ of the platen cover 7 shown in FIG. In the above-described embodiment, when the rod member 12 is formed of an elastic member, the swinging member is opened when the two swinging members disposed on the upper part of the image forming unit are opened. In the final stage of the operation, the swinging operation can be elastically received, and the elastic shock prevention mechanism of the hinge itself can be assisted.
[0018]
The image forming apparatus 1 shown in the embodiment can be configured as an apparatus in which a copying machine and a facsimile apparatus are combined in addition to an electrophotographic copying machine and a facsimile apparatus, and the image forming apparatus is configured as a combined apparatus. When doing so, the image information read by the reading unit is transmitted as a digital signal using a telephone line. When used as an electrophotographic copying machine, a digital signal as image information obtained by a reading unit is used to record on recording paper by an image forming unit. In the image forming unit, a signal received by facsimile is used. Recording on the recording paper is the same as in the case of a conventional general multifunction peripheral.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
The present invention is configured as described above, and a means for maintaining a constant opening angle of the platen cover with respect to the image forming unit is provided at the rear end of the reading unit on the hinge side. Can be prevented from accidentally opening and breaking. In addition, by providing an opening restriction means that acts to close the platen cover with respect to the reading unit as the reading unit is opened, the platen cover can read even if the reading unit is opened with the platen cover open. Since it swings in the closing direction with respect to the unit, the opening angle of the platen cover with respect to the image forming unit does not increase, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an accident in which the platen cover collides with an object behind. Furthermore, since the opening degree restricting member is formed of a member having an elastic action, the platen cover is not abruptly closed, and the platen can be prevented from being damaged.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a configuration of an opening degree regulating member.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a state of an opening degree regulating member when a swing member is opened.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which two upper swinging members are simultaneously opened.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which only the platen cover is opened.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the reading unit is opened while the platen cover is open.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 image forming device, 2 image forming unit, 3 base frame,
4 Upper frame 5 Reading unit 6 Hinge
7 Platen cover, 8 Hinge, 10 Opening restriction member,
11 Holding cylinder member, 12 Rod member, 13 Large diameter member,
14 Stopper.

Claims (2)

An image forming unit, an image reading unit that is openable and closable via a hinge provided on an upper frame with respect to the image forming unit, and an image having a platen cover that is disposed above the image reading unit and opens and closes in the same direction as the image reading unit. In the forming apparatus, on the hinge side of the reading unit, a rod member provided slidably with respect to a holding cylinder member fixed behind the reading unit is provided between a stopper provided on the platen cover and the upper frame. When the reading unit is opened with the platen cover opened, the rod member is pushed upward to contact the stopper. An image forming apparatus, wherein the platen cover is restricted so as not to open any more.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rod member has an elastic action.

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