JP4893967B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus represented by a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and the like, which includes an operation panel whose posture and orientation can be freely changed. The operation panel can input parameters such as copying conditions and facsimile conditions, or can display input data or data selected by the user.

  With respect to the present invention, an image forming apparatus including an operation panel whose posture and orientation can be freely changed is known, for example, from Patent Document 1. There, an operation panel is provided at the front end of the platen cover that opens and closes the document reading surface. The operation panel can be raised and lowered between a state in which the display surface is flush with the upper surface of the platen cover and a state in which the display surface is tilted backward toward the front of the machine body.

  An image forming apparatus provided with a similar operation panel is known in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228688. There, an operation panel provided with a display device, a group of input buttons, and the like is arranged on the upper surface of the machine body. The display device can be raised and lowered between a state in which the display surface is flush with the upper surface of the operation panel and a state in which the display surface is tilted backward toward the front of the machine body.

  Regarding the present invention, Patent Document 3 discloses that an image display device can be attached to and detached from a main body of a DVD playback device. There, a lock mechanism for holding the image display device mounted on the main body in a state where it cannot be separated and a connector for transmitting and receiving power and information signals are provided between the image display device and the main body.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-165365 (2nd page, lower right column, lines 2 to 4, line 2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-15246 (paragraph number 0011, FIG. 14) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-119491 (paragraph number 0014, FIG. 5)

  An operation panel display in an image forming apparatus in recent years tends to increase in size as the amount of information to be displayed increases. In this type of display, for example, a plurality of pages of image data read by the scanner function can be reduced and displayed as a list, or a print preview of selected image data can be displayed. As the display becomes larger in this way, the space occupied by the operation panel in the aircraft increases, so it becomes difficult to fit the operation panel within the outline of the aircraft with the conventional equipment arrangement. Yes. For this reason, when the image forming apparatus is transported or carried into the installation site, the operation panel that protrudes from the outer surface of the machine body may be an obstacle, thereby reducing the transport cost or facilitating the transport of the image forming apparatus. Some kind of countermeasure was required.

  An object of the present invention is to make the operation panel detachable so that the operation panel does not protrude from the outer surface of the machine body during transportation or when it is carried into the installation site, thereby reducing the transportation cost of the image forming apparatus, or An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can facilitate carrying-in.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention supports an operation panel arranged on one side of the machine body with a panel support device provided between the machine body and the operation panel so that the posture can be freely changed. The hinge structure of the panel support device and the operation panel are detachably connected via a connection structure. The connection structure is composed of the following members. The 1st coupling body provided in the side of a hinge structure. The 2nd connection body provided in the operation panel side corresponding to a 1st connection body. A lock structure that locks and holds the operation panel connected to the first connecting body in a state where it cannot be separated. A connector that electrically connects the operation panel to the aircraft.

  A 1st connection body is comprised with the front-end | tip bracket of a hinge structure, and the connection frame provided integrally with a front-end | tip bracket. The second connection body is configured to include one side surface and a vertically long connection groove that opens downward on the rear surface of the operation panel. Thus, the first connecting body and the second connecting body are connected vertically so that the lock structure can hold the lock.

  The lock structure includes a lock body that is assembled to the operation panel so as to face the second connecting body, a lock spring that urges the lock body to lock, and a release tool that releases the lock against the lock spring. .

  The hinge structure includes a pair of left and right tip brackets provided at the tip of the hinge. A connection frame is fixed to the pair of tip brackets in a bridging manner to constitute a first connection body.

  A connector for transmitting and receiving power and / or input / output signals is provided at a corresponding position between the first connector and the operation panel. The connector is composed of a pair of connection terminals provided on opposing walls of the first connecting body and the second connecting body.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the operation panel disposed on one side of the machine body is supported by the panel support device so that the posture can be freely changed, and the hinge structure of the panel support device and the operation panel are detachably connected via the connection structure. did. As described above, when the operation panel is detachably connected to the hinge structure, the operation panel can be detached from the hinge structure and separated when the image forming apparatus is shipped or stored. Therefore, the space that the image forming apparatus occupies can be reduced by eliminating the projection of the operation panel on the outer surface of the machine body at the time of transportation or when carrying it to the installation site, and the transportation cost of the image forming apparatus is reduced accordingly. Or carrying in can be facilitated.

  In addition, when the connection structure is constituted by the first connection body, the second connection body, and the lock structure, the operation panel connected to the first connection body can be locked and fixed in a state where it cannot be separated by the lock structure. Therefore, when changing the attitude and orientation of the operation panel according to the user's standing position, it is possible to reliably prevent the operation panel from being separated from the first connected body and falling, and the lock structure can be locked when necessary. It can be released and the operation panel can be easily removed.

  According to the connection structure in which the first connection body is configured by the front end bracket and the connection frame, and the second connection body is configured to include a vertically long connection groove that opens to one side and downward on the rear surface of the operation panel. The first connecting body can be connected up and down and can be locked and held by the lock structure. Thus, according to the connection structure which connects an operation panel and a 1st connection body up and down, only by connecting a part of 2nd connection body to a 1st connection body, an operation panel is made into a temporary assembly state with dead weight. Can hold. Therefore, even if the lock structure is in a state before switching to the locked state, the operation panel is not separated from the first connected body, and when the operation panel is assembled, accidents such as accidental dropping to the floor are often caused. Can be prevented.

  When the lock structure is formed by the lock body assembled on the second connecting body side of the operation panel, the lock spring, and the release tool, the entire lock structure is positioned on the rear surface of the operation panel and locked in the normal use state. It is possible to prevent the appearance from becoming complicated by preventing the structure from conspicuous. In addition, the lock structure cannot be unlocked unless the user releases the release tool with a clear intent, so accidents such as accidental unlocking of the lock structure and dropping of the operation panel to the floor surface are ensured. Can be prevented.

  When the hinge structure is configured to include a pair of left and right tip brackets, and the connecting frame is fixed to the pair of tip brackets in a bridging manner to form the first connecting body, the first reinforcing body and the connecting frame are subjected to mutual reinforcing action, thereby The structural strength of the coupled body can be improved. Further, the mechanical strength of the connection structure provided at the hinge tip of the hinge structure is improved by the amount that the structural strength of the first connection body can be improved, and a connection structure having excellent durability can be obtained.

  When the connector provided at the corresponding position between the first connecting body and the operation panel is constituted by a pair of connection terminals provided on the opposing walls of the first connecting body and the second connecting body, the pair is simply connected to each other. The connection terminal can be connected to electrically connect the control panel and the aircraft. Therefore, when attaching / detaching the operation panel to / from the hinge structure, it is not necessary to connect or separate the connector separately, and the trouble of attaching / detaching the operation panel can be reduced accordingly. The connector may be a connector that supplies at least electric power to the operation panel, but may be a connector that exchanges input / output signals together with electric power between the operation panel and the machine body.

Reference Example FIGS. 1 to 9 show a reference example in which the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a multifunction machine having a copy function and a facsimile function. In FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus includes a recording unit 1 that occupies most of the machine body, an image reading unit 2 provided above the recording unit 1, and the like. The recording unit 1 includes an image recording device, a fixing device, and the like. A platen cover 3 that opens and closes the document reading surface and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 4 that is provided on the platen cover 3 and sends the document to the image reading unit 2 are disposed on the upper surface of the image reading unit 2. A panel support 5 is provided on one side of the front side of the image reading unit 2, and an operation panel 6 is disposed on the upper surface thereof.

  Inside the recording unit 1, there is provided a paper transport path from the paper feed cassette 9 to the paper discharge space S through the image recording device and the fixing device. The recording unit 1 includes a rectangular box-shaped housing 10 in which a paper feed cassette 9 is assembled, and a side housing 11 that is connected upward from the right end of the housing 10, and includes a housing 10 and an image reading unit 2. A paper discharge space S is formed between them. A decorative panel 12 is mounted on the front surfaces of the housings 10 and 11. A front cover 13 is provided at a position above the sheet feeding cassette 9 in front of the decorative panel 12. The front cover 13 is suspended by a hinge (not shown) so as to swing upward with respect to the housing 10. The recording unit 1, the image reading unit 2, the automatic document conveying unit 4, the housings 10 and 11 and the like constitute a machine body of the image forming apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the paper discharge space S is open at the front and left sides of the machine body, and the right side of the paper discharge space S is connected to the side housing 11, and the rear side is connected to the side housing 11. It is blocked by. Adjacent to the upper right side of the front opening surface of the paper discharge space S, the previous operation panel 6 is arranged. Note that the front-rear direction and the left-right direction in the present invention are defined by crosshairs and front / rear / left / right notations shown in FIG. As described above, by providing the paper discharge space S on one side of the front surface of the machine body and disposing the operation panel on the other side of the front surface of the machine body adjacent to the paper discharge space S, print paper discharged into the paper discharge space S can be removed. When taking out, it can prevent that the operation panel 6 becomes obstructive. Further, it is possible to prevent the visual field when the discharge space S is visually recognized from being blocked by the operation panel 6.

  The panel support 5 described above is provided in the upper part of the front surface of the side housing 11 provided at the right end of the housing 10, and its left and right dimensions are set larger than the width of the side housing 11. The upper surface of the panel support 5 is inclined downward toward the front lower side, and the front end portion thereof is located on the rear side of the front end position of the front cover 13 in the closed state.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 6 is configured by arranging a touch panel display 16 and a group of input buttons 17 on the upper surface of a flat rectangular box-shaped panel body 15. By operating the display 16 and the input button 17, it is possible to input copying conditions, facsimile conditions, etc., or display input data. The front-rear dimension and the left-right dimension of the panel body 15 are set larger than the front-rear dimension and the left-right dimension of the panel support 5.

  In order to make the posture and orientation of the operation panel 6 changeable, a panel support device that supports the operation panel 6 so that the posture can be changed is provided between the operation panel 6 and the panel support 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the panel support device includes a hinge structure 20 including a biaxial hinge and a hollow hinge cover 21 that covers the outer surface of the hinge structure 20. A connecting structure 22 for detachably mounting the operation panel 6 is provided between the hinge structure 20 and the operation panel 6.

  In FIG. 4, the hinge structure 20 includes a pair of left and right proximal brackets 23, a pair of left and right distal brackets 24 provided at the distal ends of the hinges, and first and second swing shafts 25 and 26 on both the brackets 23 and 24. It is comprised by the rocking | swiveling arm 27 etc. which are connected through this. The center axis of the first swing shaft 25 and the center axis of the second swing shaft 26 are parallel to each other.

  The base end bracket 23 is bent and formed at two right and left portions of the bracket base 28 that is fastened and fixed to the airframe. The base end portion of the previous swing arm 27 is connected to each of the left and right base end brackets 23 so as to be relatively swingable in the vertical direction by a pair of left and right first swing shafts 25. The central axes of the left and right first swing shafts 25 are provided on the same straight line. A stopper piece 30 that defines the upper and lower swing limits of the swing arm 27 is formed at the rear end of the upper edge of the base end bracket 23 and the lower portion of the front edge.

  In order to hold the swing arm 27 at an arbitrary displacement position, the first swing shaft 25 is fastened with a nut 31 via a frictional resistance applying means as shown in FIG. The frictional resistance applying means includes a plurality of disc springs 32 and plain washers interposed at both ends of the disc springs 32. When the previous nut 31 is tightened into the male thread portion of the first swing shaft 25, the plurality of disc springs 32 are elastically deformed flat and are brought into close contact with the flat washer. As a result, both side walls of the swing arm 27 and the left and right base end brackets 23 are brought into close contact with each other to generate a predetermined frictional resistance. As a result, the swing arm 27 can swing and displace with respect to the base end bracket 23 only when an operating force exceeding the set value is applied, and can normally hold an arbitrary displacement position by the previous frictional resistance.

  The front end bracket 24 is made of an L-shaped press fitting, and the left and right front end brackets 24 can swing relative to the left and right side walls of the swing arm 27 in the vertical direction by a pair of left and right second swing shafts 26. It is connected. The central axes of the left and right second swing shafts 26 are provided on the same straight line. In order to hold the operation panel 6 at an arbitrary displacement position, the second swing shaft 26 is fastened with a nut 33 via a frictional resistance applying means. Since the frictional resistance applying means including the disc spring 32 is the same as the frictional resistance applying means described above, description thereof is omitted.

  The connection structure 22 includes a first connection body 36 provided on the hinge structure 20 side, a second connection body 37 provided on the operation panel 6 side corresponding to the first connection body 36, a lock structure 38, and an operation. A connector 39 for supplying power to the panel 6 is used.

  The 1st connection body 36 is comprised by the free end wall of the front-end | tip tip bracket 24, and the connection frame 41 which connects the free end wall of a pair of front-end | tip bracket 24 in a bridge shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the connecting frame 41 is integrally provided with a pair of left and right connecting seats 42 and a connecting wall 43 that is formed between the two connecting seats 42 and is recessed toward the swing arm 27. The left and right connecting seats 42 are joined and welded to the free end wall of the tip bracket 24, and the connecting seat 42 and the free end wall of the tip bracket 24 constitute a first connecting body 36. An insulating substrate 44 is fixed to the connection wall 43, and a pair of left and right connection terminals 45 are provided below the plate surface so as to protrude from the front surface of the insulating substrate 44. Reference numeral 46 denotes a power supply line wired along the internal space of the hinge structure 20, and the outer surface thereof is covered with the swing arm 27 and the hinge cover 21.

The second connection body 37 is formed of a recess that is formed in a recess on the rear surface of the panel body 15 of the operation panel 6 and opens rearward. The horizontal width and vertical height of the recess are set to dimensions obtained by adding a margin dimension to the horizontal width and vertical height of the first connecting body 36. The operation panel 6 is connected to the first connection body 36 by inserting the operation panel 6 backward from the opening surface side of the second connection body 37 with respect to the first connection body 36, thereby being integrated with the hinge structure 20. Can be Thus, the connection structure 22 in this reference example connects the first connection body 36 and the second connection body 37 back and forth.

  As described above, the lock structure 38 is provided as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 in order to lock and hold the operation panel 6 attached to the first coupling body 36 so as not to be separated. The lock structure 38 includes a pair of left and right lock bodies 51 that are slidably supported by the panel body 15, a lock spring 53 that moves and urges the lock body 51, and locks the lock body 51 against the urging force of the lock spring 53. And a release tool 54 to be released. A pair of upper and lower lock claws 52 are integrally provided at the inner end of the lock body 51, and the release tool 54 is integrally formed at the outer end of the lock body 51.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the lock body 51 is guided and supported by a guide portion 56 provided on the panel body 15 so as to be slidable left and right. Further, the lock body 51 is held in a state in which it cannot be separated from the panel body 15 by a claw 57 (see FIG. 8) provided at the inner edge of the guide portion 56. The left and right lock bodies 51 are urged and advanced in a direction approaching each other by a lock spring 53 formed of a compression coil spring. As a result, in a state where the first connecting body 36 and the second connecting body 37 are connected, the distal end portion of the lock claw 52 comes into contact with the rear surface of the first connecting body 36 to connect the first connecting body 36 to the second connecting body. It is clamped and fixed in front and back in cooperation with the inner back wall of the body 37. Therefore, the operation panel 6 can be held in a state where it cannot be separated from the first connector 36. When the unlocking tool 54 in the locked state is slid against the urging force of the lock spring 53, the contact state between the lock claw 52 and the first connecting body 36 is released, and the operation panel 6 is removed from the first connecting body 36. Easy to remove. The release tool 54 is exposed on the rear surface of the operation panel 6 through an operation window 58 opened in the panel body 15.

  As described above, the connector 39 is provided at a corresponding position between the connection frame 41 and the second connection body 37 in order to supply power to the operation panel 6 attached to the first connection body 36. The connector 39 includes the connection terminal 45 described above and a pair of left and right connection terminals 59 provided on the panel body 15 corresponding to the connection terminal 45. As shown in FIG. 6, a fitting portion 60 is formed in an outwardly bulging shape at the left and right center of the second connecting body 37, and the previous connection terminal 59 is fitted on the lower left and right sides of the fitting portion 60. The part 60 is provided so as to protrude from the rear surface. In a state where the second connecting body 37 is connected to the first connecting body 36, the fitting portion 60 fits into the concave portion 47 continuous with the connection wall 43 of the connecting frame 41 to restrict the left and right movement of the operation panel 6. Yes. Note that transmission and reception of input signals and output signals between the operation panel 6 and the machine body are performed by wireless transmission.

  The panel support device configured as described above displaces the operation panel 6 around the first swing shaft 25 and the second swing shaft 26, and the posture and orientation of the operation panel according to the user's standing position. Can be changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the swing arm 27 is swung to the lower limit, and the operation panel 6 is erected so that the operation panel 6 can be viewed and input from a low position. Yes. In a normal state, the operation panel 6 is used in a basic use posture in which the operation panel 6 is tilted on the upper surface of the swing arm 27 from the position shown in FIG. If necessary, as shown in FIG. 9, the swing arm 27 can be operated upright, and the operation panel 6 can be used with the operation panel 6 tilted backward. Further, the swing arm 27 can be swung to the lower limit, and the operation panel 6 can be used with the operation panel 6 tilted downward.

  In the state where the operation panel 6 is in the basic use posture as described above, the front end portion thereof projects forward from the front outline of the front cover 13 located at the foremost position of the airframe. For this reason, the space occupied by the image forming apparatus during transportation or storage is increased by the protruding dimension of the operation panel 6. However, the operation panel 6 of the present invention can be attached to and detached from the first connecting body 36, and the operating panel 6 is separated from the first connecting body 36 as shown in FIG. By standing up, the space occupied by the entire image forming apparatus can be reduced.

  When removing the operation panel 6 from the first coupling body 36, the left and right side edges of the operation panel 6 are supported with both hands, and the release tool 54 is resisted against the urging force of the lock spring 53 with the fingertip. Slide to the right. By pulling the entire operation panel 6 to the near side in this state, the connection state between the first connection body 36 and the second connection body 37 is released, and the operation panel 6 can be separated from the first connection body 36. The operation panel 6 separated from the first coupling body 36 is housed and transported in a dedicated housing space provided in the packaging material of the machine body. In this way, by storing and transporting the operation panel 6 in a state separated from the machine body, when the image forming apparatus is transported or temporarily stored, the space occupied by the entire apparatus is reduced, and the cost required for transportation or storage is reduced. Can be reduced. Even when the display 16 having a large screen size is incorporated in the operation panel 6, the space occupied by the image forming apparatus can be reduced and the packaging can be made compact.

In the above reference example, the first connecting body 36 and the second connecting body 37 are connected in the front-rear direction. However, in the present invention, both the connecting bodies 36 and 37 are connected up and down . Examples thereof are shown in FIGS. There, the second connection body 37 provided on the operation panel 6 is inserted and attached downward with respect to the first connection body 36 so that the operation panel 6 can be connected to the hinge structure 20 via the first connection body 36. did.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 11, a second connecting body 37 is configured by a recess 63 formed in a recess on the rear surface of the panel body 15 and connection grooves 64 formed on the left and right inner peripheral sides of the recess 63. The concave portion 63 has an open rear surface and a lower surface, and the connecting groove 64 has an open lower surface and a side surface facing the concave portion 63. Further, in the state where the notch 65 is formed in the upper and lower middle portions of the left and right side edges of the first connecting body 36 and the first connecting body 36 is inserted and connected to the second connecting body 37, the lock claw 52 falls into the notch 65, The operation panel 6 can be locked and held in a state where it cannot be separated. Since other structures are substantially the same as those of the previous reference example, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, according to the connection structure 22 that connects the second connection body 37 to the first connection body 36 in the vertical direction, only by connecting the lower part of the connection groove 64 to the first connection body 36, The operation panel 6 can be held in a temporarily assembled state. Therefore, even in the state before the lock claw 52 falls into the notch 65, the operation panel 6 is not separated from the first coupling body 36, and when the operation panel 6 is assembled, it is accidentally dropped to the floor. Accidents can be well prevented.

FIG Te 10 to 12 in engagement Ru real施例smell, the coupling groove 64 of the left and right can be formed by a groove that opens to the outer side and a lower respectively the operation panel 6.

  The connector 39 may be a connector that can exchange input / output signals of the operation panel 6 in addition to electric power. A connector can consist of a connector plug and a connector socket. In that case, the connector plug and the connector socket can be connected by utilizing the operation of connecting the second connecting body 37 to the first connecting body 36. Of course, after connecting the 2nd connection body 37 to the 1st connection body 36, and locking and fixing with a lock structure, a connector plug and a connector socket may be connected manually.

Hinge structure need not be two-axis hinge may be a hinge comprising at least one hinge axis. It is preferable to provide a pair of left and right lock structures, but this is not necessary, and it is sufficient if they are provided at least at one location between the first connection body 36 and the second connection body 37.

It is a top view of the panel support apparatus of the state which isolate | separated the operation panel. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus. It is a partially broken side view of the state which connected the operation panel to the hinge structure. It is a perspective view which shows a hinge structure and a connection structure. It is a disassembled rear view of the state which isolate | separated the operation panel and the coupling body. It is a cross-sectional top view which shows the lock structure of an operation panel. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the up-and-down rocking | fluctuation limit of a rocking | fluctuating arm, and the front-back tilt limit of an operation panel. It is a partially cutaway side view showing the actual施例the connection structure. It is an exploded rear view of a separated state connecting body and an operation panel according to the actual施例. It is CC sectional view taken on the line in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

6 Operation Panel 20 Hinge Structure 22 Connection Structure 23 Base End Bracket 24 Front End Bracket 25 First Oscillation Shaft 26 Second Oscillation Shaft 27 Oscillation Arm 36 First Connection Body 37 Second Connection Body 38 Lock Structure 39 Connector

Claims (4)

An operation panel arranged on one side of the machine body is supported by a panel support device provided between the machine body and the operation panel so that the posture can be freely changed.
The hinge structure of the panel support device and the operation panel are detachably connected via a connection structure,
The coupling structure includes a first connection member provided on a side of the hinge structure,
A second connector provided on the operation panel side corresponding to the first connector;
A lock structure that locks and holds the operation panel connected to the first connecting body in a state where it cannot be separated;
It is composed of a connector that electrically connects the operation panel and the aircraft ,
The first connecting body is constituted by a tip bracket of the hinge structure and a connecting frame provided integrally with the tip bracket;
The second connection body is configured to include a longitudinal connection groove that opens downward on one side surface on the rear surface of the operation panel,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the first connecting body and the second connecting body are connected to each other vertically and are locked and held by the lock structure . The lock structure is assembled to the operation panel in a state of facing the second connecting body, a lock spring for urging the lock body, and the lock body is unlocked against the lock spring. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a release tool . The hinge structure includes a pair of left and right tip brackets provided at the hinge tip,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first coupling member to secure the coupling frame to the bridge-like to the pair of tip brackets are constructed. A connector for transmitting and receiving power and / or input / output signals is provided at a corresponding position between the first connector and the operation panel.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a pair of connection terminals provided on opposing walls of the first connecting body and the second connecting body .

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