JP5817981B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a configuration in which an image reading device (scanner device) is disposed on an upper portion of an image forming apparatus is known. In such a configuration, when it is necessary to open the upper cover provided on the upper part of the image forming apparatus for maintenance such as replacement of consumables, the image is so arranged that the upper cover does not interfere with the image reading apparatus above the upper cover. A method of increasing the distance between the forming unit and the image reading unit is employed.

  However, when the size of the upper cover is increased, it is necessary to further increase the distance between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and there is a problem that the height of the apparatus main body is increased. As a result, the document surface of the image reading unit inevitably increases, and there is a problem that operability during document setting deteriorates. In view of this, image forming apparatuses disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known as prior arts for solving such problems.

  An image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-354832 covers an upper part of an image forming unit by sliding an image reading unit disposed on the upper part of the image forming unit in a horizontal direction and retracting it. The cover is opened to perform maintenance such as internal consumable replacement.

  The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-039827) allows the image reading unit to be rotated upward with respect to the image forming apparatus main body to be opened, and constitutes an exterior of the image forming apparatus. At least one side wall is pivoted sideways so that it can be opened. A large open space is formed by opening the image reading unit in conjunction with the opening of the side wall, and maintenance such as replacement of consumables in the image forming apparatus is performed through this open space.

  In the image forming apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-139963, the image reading unit is configured integrally with the upper cover of the image forming unit, and the image reading unit is also rotated together when the upper cover is opened. I have to.

  However, the techniques according to Patent Documents 1 to 3 have the following problems.

  The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 slides the image reading unit horizontally in the front-rear direction with respect to the image forming unit and retracts the image reading unit. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a space necessary for the image reading unit to pop out when the main body is installed, which places restrictions on the installation location.

  The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is installed in the same manner as Patent Document 1 because the image reading unit is opened not only by rotating the image reading unit upward but also by opening the side wall to the side. Limited by location.

  In the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 3, since the image reading unit is configured integrally with the upper cover of the image forming unit, the image reading unit is also retracted at the same time when the cover is opened. However, since the upper image reading unit pops out from the main body installation area with the upper cover opened, it is necessary to secure a space necessary for the image reading unit to pop out when the main unit is installed, and the installation location is limited. . In particular, it is necessary to stack the paper ejected on the upper cover, and if it is attempted to secure a large amount of stack, it is necessary to increase the distance between the upper cover and the image reading unit. There is a problem that the pop-out amount increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and in the structure in which the upper cover of the image forming unit and the image reading unit are integrated, while maintaining the ease of document setting with respect to the document surface of the image reading unit, An object of the present invention is to improve the degree of freedom of the installation place of the image forming apparatus by shortening the jumping distance from the main body installation area of the image reading unit when the upper cover is opened.

  The object is to rotate around the following invention, that is, an image forming unit for outputting an image to a recording sheet and a fulcrum arranged on one end side of the image forming unit so as to open and close the upper part of the image forming unit. An upper cover movably supported; an image reading unit disposed at a predetermined distance above the upper cover; and support means for supporting the image reading unit slidably in the vertical direction with respect to the upper cover. And an interlocking means for interlocking the rotation of the upper cover and the slide of the image reading unit, and interlocking with the operation of opening the upper cover, the image reading unit is moved closer to the upper cover. This is solved by an image forming apparatus characterized by sliding.

According to the present invention, since the image reading unit is slid in the approaching direction with respect to the upper cover in conjunction with the operation of opening the upper cover, the amount of the image reading unit that wraps outside the main body installation area can be reduced. Thereby, the degree of freedom of the installation place of the image forming apparatus can be improved.
Further, since the deviation of the center of gravity of the image reading unit with respect to the upper cover is reduced, the opening / closing operability of the upper cover can be improved, and the risk of falling can be reduced.

1 is a schematic external view of an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit 100 and an image reading unit 200 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming unit 100 in a state where an upper cover is closed according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming unit 100 in a state where an upper cover is opened according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a comparative example 1 of an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit and an image reading unit. It is a comparative example 2 of an image forming apparatus composed of an image forming unit and an image reading unit. 10 is a comparative example 3 of an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit and an image reading unit. 10 is a comparative example 4 of an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit and an image reading unit. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus in a state where an upper cover is closed according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus with an upper cover opened according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus on which a sheet is placed with an upper cover opened according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which opened the upper cover based on the deformation | transformation embodiment of this invention. 4D is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus during transportation in which the contact member is removed and the upper cover is closed in the embodiment of FIG. 4D. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which opened the upper cover based on the deformation | transformation embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which closed the upper cover based on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which opened the upper cover based on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which closed the upper cover based on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus of the state which opened the upper cover based on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus in a state in which a contact member is attached and an upper cover is closed according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of the image forming apparatus at the time of transportation which removed the contact member and closed the upper cover based on the deformation | transformation embodiment of this invention.

Below, the 1st-3rd embodiment of the present invention is described in detail with reference to drawings.
1 to 2B are schematic external views of an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit 100 and an image reading unit 200, which are common to the embodiments of the present invention. A space of a predetermined size is provided between the image forming unit 100 and the image reading unit 200 so that the image reading unit 200 is disposed on the upper part of the image forming unit 100 and the recording paper is discharged onto the upper surface unit 101 of the image forming unit 100. Is provided.

  2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the image forming unit 100 according to the present embodiment, with the upper cover 10 closed and opened. The upper cover 10 accommodates a writing device 1 which will be described later, and an image reading unit 200 is disposed above the writing device 1 at a predetermined distance. The image reading unit 200 includes a document table 201 and a pressure plate 202 that reads a document set on the document table 201 and presses the document against the document table 201 while writing by the writing device 1, and the pressure plate 202 is opened in the arrow A direction. It is possible.

  The image forming unit 100 includes a writing device 1, a developing unit 2, an intermediate transfer unit 3, an intermediate transfer unit cleaning unit 4, a waste toner collection box 5, a paper feed cassette 6, a secondary transfer unit 7, a fixing unit 8, and a paper discharge unit. 9 and the like, and a full color image is formed according to a general electrophotographic process. The writing device 1 is accommodated in the upper cover 10 and is opened together with the upper cover 10 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2b. By this opening, the developing unit 2 can be taken out upward. Further, the secondary transfer portion 7 is opened together with the front cover 19 in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2b, so that it is possible to easily handle a paper jam and take out the waste toner collection box 5.

  FIGS. 3A to 3D show, as a comparative example of the image forming apparatus including the image forming units 100a to 100d and the image reading units 200a to 200d, above the image forming units 100a to 100d when the consumables such as the developing unit 2 are replaced. The case where the prior art is applied to a configuration in which the provided upper covers 10a to 10d are opened will be described.

  FIG. 3A shows a comparative example in which the distance L1 between the image forming unit 100a and the image reading unit 200a is large so that the upper cover 10a does not hit the bottom surface of the image reading unit 200a when the upper cover 10a is opened in the arrow direction. 1. In the comparative example 1, since a space equal to or larger than the size of the upper cover 10a is required between the image forming unit 100a and the image reading unit 200a, there is a problem that the height of the apparatus main body is increased. In addition, the reading surface on which the document of the image reading unit 200a is set is inevitably high, and there is a problem that visibility and operability at the time of document setting deteriorate.

  FIG. 3B is a second comparative example in which the image reading unit 200b slides in the horizontal direction and retreats when the upper cover 10b is opened in the arrow direction. In this comparative example 2, the problem that the height of the apparatus main body shown in FIG. However, since the image reading unit 200b pops out from the main body installation area, it is necessary to secure a space L2 necessary for the image reading unit 200b to pop out when the main body is installed, and there is a problem that the installation place is restricted. Further, when the upper cover 10b is opened, it is necessary to operate the upper cover 10b after sliding the image reading unit 200b, so that there is a problem that the operation becomes two steps and the operability is poor.

  In FIG. 3c, when the upper cover 10c and the image reading unit 200c are held rotatably with respect to the main body, and the upper cover 10c is opened in the arrow direction, the image reading unit 200c is similarly rotated in the arrow direction. It is the comparative example 3 made to evacuate. In Comparative Example 3, it is not necessary to secure a space for the image reading unit 200c to protrude from the main body installation area shown in FIG. 3b, and there is no restriction on the installation location. However, when opening the upper cover 10c, it is necessary to operate the upper cover 10c after the image reading unit 200c is rotated. Therefore, there is a problem that the operation is in two stages and the operability is poor.

  FIG. 3D shows a comparative example 4 in which the upper cover 10d and the image reading unit 200d are integrally formed, and the image reading unit 200d is also rotated together when the upper cover 10d is opened in the arrow direction. In this comparative example 4, the two-step operation shown in FIG. 3b or FIG. 3c is unnecessary and the operability can be improved. However, since the image reading unit 200d pops out of the main body installation area, it is necessary to secure a space L3 necessary for the image reading unit 200d to pop out when the main unit is installed. The image reading unit 200d is installed as in the example shown in FIG. There is a problem that the place is restricted. Further, when the upper cover 10d is opened, the position of the center of gravity of the image reading unit 200 moves more than when the upper cover 10d is closed, so that the balance of the center of gravity of the main body becomes unstable and the main body tends to fall down. .

  In view of the problems in FIGS. 3a to 3d, the image forming apparatus according to each embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration in order to improve the operability and minimize the restrictions on the installation location of the main body.

  4a to 4c show a first embodiment of the present invention. On the upper part of the image forming unit 100, an upper cover 10 supported so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 14 as a fulcrum disposed on one end side of the image forming unit 100 is disposed. Further, the image reading unit 200 is arranged on the upper cover 10 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow G. The upper cover 10 has a groove portion 11 penetratingly formed in the vertical direction, and a support member 210 fixed to the lower portion of the image reading unit 200 is inserted into the groove portion 11 so as to penetrate the upper cover 10 in the vertical direction. . A flange portion 210 a is formed at the lower end portion of the support member 210, and the peripheral edge portion of the flange portion 210 a is slidably fitted to the inner surface of the groove portion 11. Between the lower surface of the flange portion 210a of the support member 210 and the bottom wall 11a of the groove portion 11, a tension spring 12 (interlocking means) that constantly urges the image reading portion 200 toward the upper cover 10 is stretched.

  A contact member 211 extending downward is coaxially connected to the lower surface of the flange portion 210 a of the support member 210. The abutting member comes into contact with the main body upper surface 102 of the image forming unit 100 when the upper cover 10 is closed, and slides the support member 210 and thus the image reading unit 200 upward against the urging force of the tension spring 12. The upper cover 10 is provided with a stopper 13 for narrowing the upper opening of the groove portion 11 so that the flange portion 210a of the support member 210 is not pulled out, and the image forming apparatus is lifted and carried by holding the image reading portion 200 by hand. Even if there is a case, the support member 210 is not easily detached from the image forming unit 100.

  The image reading unit 200 includes a pressure plate 202 that can rotate upward about a support shaft 203. The pressure plate 202 is opened to set a document on the document surface. Since the space between the image reading unit 200 and the upper cover 10 can be minimized as long as it does not interfere with sheet discharge and stacking, the opening / closing operability of the pressure plate 202 and the ease of setting the document on the document surface are affected. Absent.

  FIG. 4B shows a state where the upper cover 10 is opened by rotating counterclockwise around the support shaft 14 from the state of FIG. 4A. When the upper cover 10 is opened, the contact member 211 is separated from the upper surface of the main body of the image forming unit 100, and the support member 210 and the image reading unit 200 are slid in the arrow J direction by the urging force of the tension spring 12. At this time, the urging force of the tension spring 12 acts as an opening assist force for the upper cover 10, so that the opening operation is easy. The sliding movement in the direction of arrow J stops when the bottom surface of the image reading unit 200 comes into contact with the top surface of the upper cover 10.

  That is, the spatial distance H between the upper cover 10 and the image reading unit 200 shown in FIG. 4a is the slide amount of the image reading unit 200, and this distance H is equal to the space where the discharged paper is stacked. At this time, the horizontal projection amount L ′ of the image reading unit 200 from the image forming unit 100 is a value obtained by subtracting H from the projection amount L3 (see FIG. 3d) when not sliding (L ′ = L3−H). ) And the restrictions on the location of the main body can be relaxed by the amount of sliding. Further, the movement of the center of gravity of the image reading unit 200 can be reduced by the distance H, and the fluctuation of the center of gravity balance of the main body can be further reduced.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the image forming unit 200 has a simple configuration in which the support member 210 and the contact member 211 are attached to the bottom surface part 200g of the image reading unit 200 and the inexpensive tension spring 12 is disposed. The slide retracting mechanism of the reading unit 200 can be configured at a low cost. In addition, when the upper cover 10 is closed, the image reading unit 200 is reliably and stably supported and positioned on the upper surface of the main body of the image forming unit 100 via the support member 210 and the contact member 211. The operability of the image reading unit 200 is stabilized.

  FIG. 4c shows a state in which the discharged paper P is placed on the top surface portion 10g of the upper cover 10 in the example shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. When the upper cover 10 is opened, the image reading unit 200 slides toward the upper cover 10 and approaches, but the sheet P is sandwiched between the bottom surface part 200g of the image reading part 200 and the top surface part 10g of the upper cover 10. The slide of the image reading unit 200 stops at the position. Since the image reading unit 200 is always urged to the upper cover 10 side by the tension spring 12, the bottom surface part 200g of the image reading unit 200 presses the paper P, so that the paper P can be opened even when the upper cover 10 is opened. It does not slide off from the top surface portion 10 g of the upper cover 10.

  FIG. 4 d shows a modification in which the contact member 211 fixed to the support member 210 in FIG. 4 b is detachably arranged on the main body upper surface 102 of the image forming unit 100. The contact member 211 is fixed vertically by screwing a screw portion 211a provided at the lower end of the contact member 211 into the upper surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus. When the upper cover 10 is opened, the contact member 211 remains on the image forming unit 100 side. When the upper cover 10 is closed, the contact member 211 contacts the lower surface of the flange portion 210a of the support member 210, and the image reading unit 200 is moved to the main body of the image forming unit 100. The upper surface 102 is pushed up to a predetermined height position.

  FIG. 4e shows a state during transportation of the main body with the contact member 211 shown in FIG. 4d removed. When the upper cover 10 is opened in FIG. 4d and the contact member 211 is removed upward as indicated by a chain line, and then the upper cover 10 is closed as shown in FIG. 4e, the image reading unit 200 is different from FIG. 4a. Since it is not pushed up by the support member 211, the bottom surface portion 200 g of the image reading unit 200 remains in contact with the top surface portion 10 g of the upper cover 10 by its own weight and the tension spring 12. That is, the height of the main body can be suppressed by the distance H shown in FIG. 4a, and the transportation cost can be reduced by reducing the size of the packaging during the transportation of the main body. When the main body is installed after transportation, the upper cover 10 is opened and the contact member 211 is attached and used as shown in FIG. 4d.

  FIG. 4F is a modified embodiment in which the abutting member 211 at the lower end of the support member 210 is detachably attached to the support member 210 by its screw portion 211a. When the main body is transported, the image reading unit 200 can be brought into contact with the upper cover 10 by removing the abutting member 211 as shown in the figure, and the transportation cost can be reduced by reducing the packing size when transporting the main body. Can be reduced. When the main body is installed after transportation, the upper cover 10 is opened and the abutting member 211 is screwed into the lower end portion of the support member 210 to enable use.

  5a and 5b show a second embodiment of the present invention. Although the basic configuration and operation are the same as those shown in FIG. 4a, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment of FIG. 4a in that the top surface portion 10g of the upper cover 10 and the bottom surface portion 200g of the image reading portion 200 are. It is configured to avoid the risk of having a finger in between. In order to prevent a finger from being caught, the slide of the image reading unit 200 is stopped at a position immediately before the bottom surface portion 200g contacts the top surface portion 10g of the upper cover 10. Due to the stop immediately before this, when the gap C (about 20 mm) having a predetermined width is formed between the bottom surface portion 200g of the image reading portion 200 and the top surface portion 10g of the upper cover 10, the bottom wall of the groove portion 11 of the upper cover. 11a and the flange portion 210a of the support member 210 are brought into contact with each other. Such a finger pinching prevention mechanism may have a configuration in which the protrusion 30 is arranged on the top surface portion 10g of the upper cover 10 (or the bottom surface portion 200g of the image reading unit 200) as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b. In this case, when the gap portion C (about 20 mm) having a predetermined width is formed between the bottom surface portion 200g and the top surface portion 10g, the protruding portion 30 contacts the bottom surface portion 200g of the image reading unit 200.

  At this time, when a small amount of paper P is placed on the upper cover 10, as shown in FIG. 4C, the paper P cannot be sandwiched between the image reading unit 200 and the upper cover 10, and the paper is opened when the upper cover 10 is opened. P may slide down. As a countermeasure, a paper slip prevention member 15 that fills the gap between the image reading unit 200 and the upper cover 10 in conjunction with the sliding operation of the image reading unit 200 is provided at the end of the upper cover 10 on the support shaft 14 side.

  The sheet slip prevention member 15 is a sheet metal member bent in an L shape so as to have a short side and a long side. The image reading unit 200 is inserted into a slit hole (not shown) formed in the longitudinal direction of the long side end 15a. A pin (not shown) provided on the support member 210 is inserted and connected, and the short side end 15b of the paper slip prevention member 15 is linked to the upper cover 10 in conjunction with opening and closing of the upper cover 10 (that is, up and down movement of the support member 210). It is designed to appear and disappear from the top surface portion 10g. When the upper cover 10 is opened, the short side end 15b of the sheet slip prevention member 15 protrudes from the top surface 10g of the upper cover 10, and the short side end 15b is between the image reading unit 200 and the upper cover 10. By completely filling the formed gap C, the paper P is prevented from sliding off the upper cover 10. That is, the protruding length of the short side end portion 15b of the sheet slip prevention member 15 is equal to the gap C in the state where the upper cover 10 is opened as shown in FIG. When the upper cover 10 is closed, as shown in FIG. 5a, the short side end 15b of the sheet slip prevention member 15 is retracted downward from the top surface 10g of the upper cover 10, and the rear side of the main body of the image forming unit 100 The paper P can be taken out of the paper.

  6a and 6b show a third embodiment in which a gear mechanism is used as interlocking means for interlocking the rotation of the upper cover 10 and the slide of the image reading unit 200. FIG. In the third embodiment, the abutment member 211 is not used, and the fixed gear 16 is arranged on the support shaft 14 of the upper cover 10 or on the main body of the image forming unit 100 at a position coaxial with the support shaft 14. To do. The fixed gear 16 has a sector shape with a central angle of about 90 °, and its tooth surface faces the direction of the support member 210 and continues from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

  On the other hand, the upper cover 10 is provided with a gear train 17 including two gears 17a and 17b that mesh with each other. The gear train 17 includes a first gear 17a having a relatively large diameter and a second gear 17b having a small diameter. The first gear 17a is a two-stage gear, and the small-diameter gear portion 17a1 meshes with the fixed gear 16, and the large-diameter gear portion 17a2 meshes with the second gear 17b. The second gear 17 b meshes with the rack 18 formed on the side surface of the support member 210 of the image reading unit 200. The reason why the first gear 17a is a two-stage gear is to adjust the rotation angle of the upper cover 10 and the amount of movement of the image reading unit 200.

  The same thing can be achieved by a combination of a plurality of gears. However, since the number of parts can be reduced by using a two-stage gear, the cost can be reduced. Note that the second gear 17b may be a two-stage gear instead of the first gear 17a. When the upper cover 10 is opened by the gear train 17 of the fixed gear 16, the first gear 17 a moves upward and backward while rotating counterclockwise along the fixed gear 16 as shown in FIG. The second gear 17 b that meshes with the rack 18 of 210 rotates in the clockwise direction and moves the support member 210 of the image reading unit 200 to be pulled into the groove 11 of the upper cover 10.

  The upper cover 10 is provided with a stopper 13 for narrowing the upper opening of the groove portion 11 so that the flange portion 210a of the support member 210 is not pulled out. The stopper 13 is provided for the fixed gear 16, the gear train 17 and the rack 18. This is effective in preventing a fall of the main body when one of the devices is damaged and holding the image reading unit 200 by hand and lifting the main body of the apparatus. In the third embodiment of FIGS. 6a and 6b, the tension spring 12 is not necessarily required, but it is desirable to provide the tension spring 12 because it facilitates meshing of the gears and provides an opening assist force for the upper cover 10. .

  7a and 7b are modified embodiments, in which the abutting member 211 abuts on the cover plate 21 attached to the opening of the vertical hole 20 formed in the upper surface 102 of the main body of the image reading unit 200, thereby causing the image reading unit 200 to be predetermined. Support the height. Further, at the time of transportation, the cover plate 21 is removed as shown in FIG. 7B and the contact member 211 is received in the vertical hole 20. Thereby, like FIG. 4e, the packing size at the time of transportation of the main body can be reduced, and the transportation cost can be reduced. At the time of installation of the main body after transportation, the cover plate 21 is attached and used as shown in FIG.

  Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the preferred embodiments, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described ones and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Writing device 2 Developing unit 10 Upper cover 11 Groove 12 Tension spring (interlocking means)
13 Stopper 14 Support shaft (fulcrum)
15 Sheet slip prevention member 16 Fixed gear (interlocking means)
17 Gear train (interlocking means)
18 racks (interlocking means)
100 Image forming unit 200 Image reading unit 202 Pressure plate 210 Support member 211 Contact member

JP 2004-354832 A JP 2000-039827 A JP 2008-139963 A

Claims (12)

An image forming unit for outputting an image to recording paper;
An upper cover supported to be rotatable about a fulcrum disposed on one end side of the image forming unit so as to open and close an upper part of the image forming unit;
An image reading unit disposed at a predetermined distance above the upper cover;
Support means for supporting the image reading unit slidably in the vertical direction with respect to the upper cover;
Interlocking means for interlocking the rotation of the upper cover and the slide of the image reading unit,
An image forming apparatus, wherein the image reading unit is slid in an approaching direction with respect to the upper cover in conjunction with an operation of opening the upper cover.   The support means of the image reading unit is configured by a support member that penetrates the upper cover in the vertical direction, the upper end is fixed to the bottom surface of the image reading unit, and the lower end is slidably held on the upper cover. And urging means disposed between the image reading unit and the upper cover to urge the image reading unit in a direction approaching the cover, and with the upper cover closed, a lower end of the support member 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unit abuts on the upper surface of the image forming unit main body on the lower side of the upper cover by the weight of the image reading unit and the biasing force of the biasing unit.   The support means of the image reading unit is composed of a support member whose upper end is fixed to the bottom surface of the image reading unit and whose lower end is slidably held on the upper cover, and the image reading unit and the upper The image reading unit is urged in a direction approaching the cover by an urging means disposed between the cover and the lower end portion of the support member and the weight of the image reading unit with the upper cover closed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the urging force of the urging unit abuts on an abutting member fixed to the upper surface of the image forming unit main body on the lower side of the upper cover.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the contact member is detachably fixed to the upper surface of the image forming unit main body.   5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a bottom surface portion of the image reading unit elastically presses a top surface portion of the upper cover by the urging unit in a state where the upper cover is opened. Image forming apparatus. While opening the upper cover, wherein the interference portion for forming a predetermined clearance between the bottom surface portion of the top surface portion of the front SL on the cover the image reading unit, characterized in that provided in the upper cover Item 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 4.   A sheet slip-preventing member is provided at an end of the upper cover on the rotation fulcrum side, and the sheet slip-preventing member is interlocked with a slide approaching the upper cover of the image reading unit, and the top surface portion of the upper cover and the image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image forming apparatus protrudes into the gap portion between the reading portion and the bottom portion.   The protrusion length that the sheet slip-preventing member protrudes into the gap formed between the top surface portion of the upper cover and the bottom surface portion of the image reading unit is the same as the interval between the gap portions. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7.   The interlocking means includes a fixed gear provided on the image forming unit main body side coaxially with a rotation shaft of the upper cover, a gear train provided on the upper cover so as to mesh with the fixed gear, and the gear train. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rack formed on a side surface of the support member of the image reading unit so as to be engaged with each other.   10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least one gear of the gear train is a two-stage gear in order to change the rotation speed.   2. The retaining member for restricting the image reading unit from moving upward beyond the predetermined distance from the upper cover is provided on a support member of the upper cover or the image reading unit. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the biasing means is a tension spring.

Images