JP6843569B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction device having a plurality of these functions.

As an image forming apparatus, a configuration is known in which an operation unit for operating the image forming apparatus is provided on an upper portion of the apparatus main body. Further, it has been proposed that the operation unit can be tilted with respect to the main body of the device, and the operation unit is automatically tilted according to the height of the operator based on the detection result of the person detecting means for detecting a person (Patent Document 1). ).

Further, as a document reading device, there is also known a configuration in which an operation unit is provided on the main body of the device so as to be tiltable (Patent Document 2). In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 2, the maximum opening angle of the document holding plate is regulated according to the tilt angle of the operation unit to improve the operability of opening and closing the document holding plate when a wheelchair operator or the like uses the platen. I'm letting you.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-89359 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-11150

However, depending on the recent increase in size of the operation unit and the position of the rotation axis of the operation unit, the upper end of the operation unit protrudes upward from the platen of the document reading unit when the operation unit has a certain inclination angle. It may be the position to do. In this case, an operator of a wheelchair or an operator having a short stature may have difficulty in seeing the platen due to the operation unit, or the operation unit may be an obstacle and it may be difficult to place the document on the platen.

For example, in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when the human detection means detects an operator of a wheelchair or the like, the operation unit is tilted so as to stand up in a substantially vertical direction so as to facilitate operation. Further, even in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 2, the wheelchair operator or the like tilts the operation unit so as to stand up in the vertical direction in order to operate the operation unit.

In this way, when the operation unit has an inclination angle close to the vertical direction according to the operator of the wheelchair, the upper end of the operation unit is the platen depending on the size of the operation unit and the position of the rotation axis of the operation unit. It may be located so as to protrude upward from. Then, it may be difficult for a wheelchair operator or the like to place the document on the platen.

Further, regardless of the height of the operator or the like, if the upper end portion of the operation unit protrudes more than the platen, the operation unit may interfere and it may be difficult to place the document on the platen.

An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration in which an operation unit is movable so that a document can be easily placed on a platen.

In the present invention, an apparatus main body, a platen provided on the apparatus main body on which a document can be placed, a reading unit for reading a document placed on the platen, and a document stand on the platen. A document holding member that can be opened and closed between a possible open state and a closed state that holds a document placed on the document table, a detecting means for detecting the opened / closed state of the document holding member, and an upper end portion of the document. The operation unit provided on the apparatus main body and the operation unit can be moved so that the first position located above the table and the second position where the upper end portion is located below the first position can be moved. With the possible drive unit and the operation unit located at the first position, the document holding member changes from the closed state to the open state by the detection means to the open state. When any of the above states is detected, the control means for driving the drive unit to move the operation unit to the second position is provided , and the detection means determines the opening / closing speed of the document holding member. The control means is an image forming apparatus that can be detected and can change the moving speed of the operation unit according to the opening / closing speed of the document holding member detected by the detection means.

According to the present invention, the operation unit can be moved so that the original can be easily placed on the platen.

The schematic block sectional view of the image forming apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) perspective view and (b) side view in a state where the operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment is in the maximum rotation position. (A) perspective view and (b) side view in a state where the operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment is in a horizontal position. (A) A perspective view of the operation unit and the drive mechanism in a horizontal position according to the first embodiment, and (b) a side view of the operation unit and the drive mechanism as seen from the arrow α direction of (a). (A) A perspective view at the maximum rotation position of the operation unit and the drive mechanism according to the first embodiment, and (b) a side view of the operation unit and the drive mechanism from the arrow β direction of (a). The block diagram of the control concerning the tilt operation of the operation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The flowchart of the control concerning the tilt operation of the operation part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. In one example of the order of operation of the operation unit and the ADF according to the first embodiment, (a) first state, (b) second state, (c) third state, (d) fourth state, (e). ) A schematic diagram showing the fifth state and (f) the sixth state, respectively. The perspective view of the operation part and ADF which concerns on 1st reference example. The perspective view of the operation part and ADF which concerns on the 2nd reference example. A side view of the operation unit and ADF according to the second embodiment, (a) when the ADF is in the closed state, and (b) when the ADF is in the open state.

<First Embodiment>
The first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[Image forming device]
The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem type intermediate transfer type image forming apparatus in which image forming stations 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1K are arranged in series in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt 31. The image forming apparatus 100 is used as a recording material S such as a sheet (paper, OHP sheet, etc.) by an electrophotographic method according to the image data transmitted from an external device such as a personal computer or the image data read by the document reading apparatus 150. Form a full-color image. For this purpose, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a document reading apparatus 150 and an image forming unit 10 capable of forming an image on a recording material based on such image data. The image forming unit 10 includes image forming stations 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk, an intermediate transfer belt 31, a secondary transfer roller 41, and the like.

The image forming stations 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk each form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images on the photosensitive drum (photoreceptor) 11 as an image carrier, and form the same image on the intermediate transfer belt 31. Primary transfer to position. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is stretched by the tension rollers 32, 33, 34 and rotates in the direction of arrow A. On the inner peripheral surface side of the intermediate transfer belt 31, a primary transfer roller 35 for performing primary transfer is arranged at a position facing the photosensitive drum 11.

The surface of the photosensitive drum 11 is uniformly charged by a charging device (not shown). The exposure apparatus 12 irradiates the charged photosensitive drum 11 with laser light to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface. The developer 13Y develops an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 11 with toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum 11. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 11 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 31 by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer roller 35. The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 11 after the primary transfer of the toner image is removed by a cleaning device (not shown).

In this way, toner images for each of the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black colors are formed on the photosensitive drums 11 at the image forming stations 1Y, 1M, 1C, and 1Bk. Then, each toner image is sequentially superimposed and transferred on the toner image of the intermediate transfer belt 31, and a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 31. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 42 formed by the secondary transfer roller 41 and the intermediate transfer belt 31 which are arranged so as to face each other via the tension roller 34 and the intermediate transfer belt 31. ..

On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 100 has a plurality of cassettes 61 and 62 that can be inserted and pulled out from the apparatus main body 110 and stores the recording material S. The recording material S stored in each cassette is separated one by one by the feeding rollers 63 and 64 and fed to the transport path 71. The fed recording material S is delivered to the first transport roller pair 72 and transported toward the skew correction device 73. Then, the skew correction device 73 corrects the skew of the recording material S.

After that, the recording material S is conveyed to the secondary transfer unit 42 by the second transfer roller pair 74 at the same timing as the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 31. Then, the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 31 is transferred to the recording material S by the secondary transfer unit 42. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 31 after transfer is removed by a belt cleaning device (not shown).

Next, the recording material S to which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 50. The fixing device 50 melts and fixes the toner on the recording material S by applying a predetermined pressing force by a roller or a belt or the like substantially facing each other and a heating effect by a heat source such as a heater in general. The recording material S having the fixing image thus obtained passes through the transport section 51 after fixing, and is discharged onto the discharge tray 82 by the discharge roller 81. Alternatively, when an image is formed on both sides of the recording material S, the discharge roller 81 is rotated in the reverse direction and transported to the reverse transfer device 83, an image is formed on the back surface in the same manner as described above, and the image is discharged onto the discharge tray 82. .. The operation of each unit as described above is controlled by the control unit 120 as a control means.

[Original reader]
The image forming device 100 includes the above-mentioned image forming unit 10, a document reading device 150, an operation unit 200, a drive mechanism 210, and a control unit 120. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the document reading device 150 includes a document table 151, a reading unit 152, an ADF 300, and an open / close sensor 153. Note that FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the ADF 300 opened in a state of the maximum rotation position in which the operation unit 200 is rotating in the elevation direction, and FIG. 2B is a side view thereof. is there. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the ADF 300 opened in a horizontal position where the operation unit 200 is not rotating, and FIG. 3B is a side view thereof.

The platen 151 is, for example, platen glass provided on the upper part of the housing 155 fixed to the apparatus main body 110, and the document can be placed on it. The scanning unit 152 is an image sensor arranged below the platen 151 inside the housing 155, and reads the image information of the document placed on the platen 151 by moving in the left-right direction of FIG. Scanning) is possible.

The ADF (Document Document Feeder) 300 as a document holding member automatically conveys the document loaded on the loading tray 301, and causes the scanning unit 152 to read the image information of the document. The document read by the reading unit 152 is ejected to the ejection tray 302. Further, the ADF 300 has a document holding plate 303 for pressing a document placed on the document table 151 at a portion facing the document table 151.

Such an ADF 300 is rotatably provided around a hinge 154 provided on the back side of the housing 155 (the side opposite to the side on which the operator (user or service person) operates the image forming apparatus 100). ing. As a result, the ADF 300 can be opened and closed between the open state as shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) and the closed state as shown in FIG. When the ADF 300 is open, the original can be placed on the platen 151. The ADF 300 is held in that position if no external force is applied when it is in the open state. On the other hand, when the ADF 300 is closed, the document placed on the platen 151 is pressed. In order to open and close the ADF 300, a handle portion 304 is provided on the front side of the ADF 300 (the side on which the operator operates the image forming apparatus 100). The handle portion 304 is a recessed portion so that the operator can easily insert a hand and lift the ADF 300. In addition to the recessed portion, the handle portion 304 may be, for example, a handle protruding toward the front side.

The open / close sensor 153 as a detection means detects the open / closed state of the ADF 300. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, the open / close sensor 153 includes an arm 153a provided at the rear end of the housing 155 and rotating in conjunction with the open / close operation of the ADF 300. It has a detection unit 153b that detects the rotation state and rotation speed of the arm 153a. The arm 153a is rotatably supported so as to protrude from the housing 155 and retract to the inner side of the housing 155, and is urged in the protruding direction by a urging means such as a spring (not shown). When the ADF 300 is closed, the arm 153a is pushed by the lower surface of the ADF 300 against the urging force of the urging means and retracted inside the housing 155.

Therefore, when the ADF 300 changes from the closed state to the open state, the arm 153a rotates so as to protrude from the housing 155 following the opening operation of the ADF 300 by the urging force of the urging means. On the other hand, when the ADF 300 changes from the open state to the closed state, the arm 153a is pushed by the lower surface of the ADF 300 and rotates so as to retract into the housing 155 following the closing operation of the ADF 300.

The detection unit 153b is composed of a plurality of photo sensors and speed sensors, and can detect the rotation angle and rotation speed of such an arm 153a. Therefore, the detection unit 153b detects the rotation angle and rotation speed of the arm 153a that follows the opening / closing operation of the ADF 300, thereby opening / closing the ADF 300 (open or closed state, or opening / closing angle). ) And the opening / closing speed can be detected.

The open / close sensor 153 is not limited to such a configuration, and may have, for example, a configuration in which a flag is provided on the ADF300 side and a photo interrupter for detecting the passage of the flag is provided on the housing 155 side. In the case of this configuration, the open / closed state of the ADF 300 can be detected by preventing the flag from passing through the photo interrupter when the ADF 300 is closed and the flag not passing through the photo interrupter when the ADF 300 is open. As described above, the open / close sensor 153 only needs to be able to detect at least whether the ADF 300 is in the open state or the closed state, but it is preferable that the open / close sensor 153 can detect the open / close angle, open / close speed, and the like of the ADF 300.

[Operation unit]
The operation unit 200 is provided on the front side of the upper portion of the apparatus main body 110. The position of the operation unit 200 is set to a position shifted to the right in FIG. 1 from the handle unit 304 so as not to overlap the handle unit 304 of the closed ADF 300 when viewed from the front.

The operation unit 200 has a liquid crystal operation screen and operation buttons, and can perform print instructions, environment settings of the image forming apparatus 100, and setting registration at the time of ID authentication, which will be described later. Such an operation unit 200 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the device main body 110. In the present embodiment, the operation unit 200 tilts (tilts) in the direction of the arrow B in FIGS. 2 (b) and 3 (b) with the axis in the substantially horizontal direction (shaft 232 described later) as the center, and the operation screen. The angle of a certain operation surface 201 can be changed by at least two steps or more.

Specifically, in the operation unit 200, as shown in FIG. 2B, the operation surface 201 has a maximum rotation position in which the operation surface 201 is inclined from a substantially horizontal direction, and as shown in FIG. 3B, the operation surface 201 has an operation surface 201. It can be tilted to any angle between the horizontal position and the horizontal position. At the maximum rotation position, the operation surface 201 is tilted so as to face the front side. In the horizontal position, the operation surface 201 faces upward in the substantially vertical direction. Thereby, the operation surface 201 can be set at an appropriate angle according to the height of the operator or with respect to the operator of the wheelchair. As a result, the visibility and operability of the operation unit 200 can be improved for all operators.

Here, the position of the operation unit 200 when the upper end of the operation unit 200 is located above the platen 151 is set as the first position. On the other hand, the height of the platen 151 or a position lower than this height is defined as the second position where the upper end of the operation unit 200 is located below the first position. In other words, at the second position, the angle is set so that the operation unit 200 does not protrude upward from the plane including the operation surface 201. Therefore, the maximum rotation position shown in FIG. 2B is included in the first position, and the horizontal position shown in FIG. 3B is included in the second position. In the following description, this horizontal position is referred to as the second position, but the second position is such that the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 is located below the first position and the height of the platen 151 or this height. As long as it is at a lower position, it may be tilted from the horizontal position.

In the case of the present embodiment, such a tilting operation (tilting operation) of the operation unit 200 can be performed manually, but can also be performed automatically. For this purpose, an ID authentication unit 202 as an information detection unit capable of detecting operator information is provided on the front surface of the device main body 110. In the case of the present embodiment, the ID authentication unit 202 is provided on the left side of the operation unit 200 when facing the front side, and on the front side of the document reading device 150. The ID authentication unit 202 reads the information on the ID card when the ID card in which the operator's information is stored is held up. That is, the ID authentication unit 202 can detect the operator's information by reading the information on the ID card. Then, as will be described later, the control unit 120 performs ID authentication based on the operator information stored in the ID card, and determines whether or not the operation unit 200 needs to be tilted.

The information detection unit may be a motion sensor as a human detection means capable of detecting a person. The motion sensor can detect the presence or absence of a person on the front side of the image forming apparatus 100 and the information of the operator of the height (height, etc.) of the person, and is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. It is possible to use a known one as described above.

Further, the operation unit 200 can be moved by the drive mechanism 210 as the drive unit described below. Then, the control unit 120 drives the drive mechanism 210 according to the detection result of the ID authentication unit 202, and the position of the operation unit 200 is automatically set.

[Drive mechanism]
Next, such a drive mechanism 210 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). The drive mechanism 210 includes a motor 211, a gear train 220, a torque limiter 230, a coupling 212, a volume sensor 213, position detection units 240, 250 and the like as drive sources. Such a drive mechanism 210 is arranged on the back side and the lower side of the operation unit 200 between the portion supporting the operation unit 200 of the apparatus main body 110 and the operation unit 200. As shown in FIG. 2A and the like, the drive mechanism 210 is provided inside a cover 260 provided on the front side of the device main body 110 below the operation unit 200.

The motor 211 is supported by the motor support plate 211a and can rotate in the forward and reverse directions. The gear train 220 has a worm gear (not shown), stepped gears 221 and 222, and spur tooth gear 223. The worm gear is connected to the drive shaft of the motor 211. The stepped gear 221 is integrally formed with a flat-toothed gear 221a that meshes with a worm gear and a flat-toothed gear 221b provided adjacent to the gear 221a. The stepped gear 222 is integrally formed with a flat-toothed gear 222a that meshes with the gear 221a of the stepped gear 221 and a flat-toothed gear 222b provided adjacent to the gear 222a. The gear 222b of the stepped gear 222 meshes with the spur tooth gear 223.

The motor support plate 211a and the stepped gears 221 and 222 are supported by a support plate 261 that is detachably fixed to the main body frame 111 of the apparatus main body 110 with screws. In other words, the motor 211 to the stepped gear 222 are unitized so that they can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 110, improving the assembleability and replaceability of the drive mechanism 210.

The spur tooth gear 223 is connected to the torque limiter 230. The torque limiter 230 has a housing 231 and a shaft 232 arranged in a substantially horizontal direction, and when a torque of a certain value or more is applied, the housing 231 and the shaft 232 slip to limit torque transmission.

The housing 231 of the torque limiter 230 is rotatably supported by a hinge support plate 233 fixed to the apparatus main body 110. The spur tooth gear 223 is engaged with the housing 231 and the spur tooth gear 223 and the housing 231 rotate integrally. The shaft 232 of the torque limiter 230 is engaged with the operation unit support plate 234 that is integrally joined with the operation unit 200, and the shaft 232 and the operation unit 200 rotate integrally.

Therefore, when the motor 211 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the shaft 232 of the torque limiter 230 via the gear row 220 composed of the worm gear, the stepped gears 221, 222, and the spur tooth gear 223, and the operation unit 200 tilts. Do the action. When the operation unit 200 is manually tilted, the worm gear is self-locked by first trying to manually rotate the operation unit 200. Then, a certain amount of torque is applied to the torque limiter 230, the housing 231 and the shaft 232 slip, and the operation unit 200 can be manually rotated.

Further, when the operation unit 200 automatically tilts, for example, when a load is applied such as an operator pinching a hand between the operation unit 200 and the device main body 110, torque transmission is restricted by the torque limiter 230. Will be done. As a result, the operation unit 200 can be prevented from rotating further, and the motor 211 can be protected.

A volume sensor 213 as an angle detecting means is provided at the tip of the shaft 232 via a coupling 212. The volume sensor 213 also rotates integrally with the shaft 232 and the operation unit 200. The output voltage of the volume sensor 213 changes depending on the rotation angle, and the control unit 120 determines the angle of the operation unit 200 from the output voltage value. As the angle detecting means for detecting the tilt angle of the operation unit 200, for example, a rotary encoder may be used in addition to the volume sensor.

The position detection units 240 and 250 include photo sensors 241 and 251 and sensor flags 242 and 252, respectively, and the photo sensors 241 and 251 detect the passage of sensor flags 242 and 252, respectively. The sensor flags 242 and 252 are fixed to the operation unit 200, respectively, and the photo sensors 241 and 251 are supported by the apparatus main body 110. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the operation unit 200 is located in the horizontal position, the sensor flag 242 passes through the photo sensor 241 and the photo sensor 241 indicates that the operation unit 200 is located in the horizontal position. Can be detected. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the operation unit 200 is located at the maximum rotation position, the sensor flag 252 passes through the photo sensor 251 and the operation unit 200 is moved to the maximum rotation position by the photo sensor 251. It can detect that it is located. Here, the horizontal position is the home position of the operation unit 200, and the maximum rotation position is the position where the operation unit 200 is rotated by the maximum amount from the home position.

[Control of tilt operation]
Next, the control of the tilt operation of the operation unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. First, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 120 as a control means is provided with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121 and a memory 122. A ROM (Read Only Memory) 122a is provided in the memory 122. The ROM 122a stores a program or the like corresponding to the control procedure. The CPU 121 controls each part while reading the program stored in the ROM 122a. Further, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 122b in which work data and input data are stored is also provided in the memory 122. The CPU 121 controls by referring to the data stored in the RAM 122b based on the above-mentioned program or the like.

The signals of the ID authentication unit 202, the volume sensor 213, the photo sensors 241, 251 and the open / close sensor 153 are sent to the CPU 121 of the control unit 120, respectively. When the CPU 121 determines that the operation unit 200 needs to be rotated based on these signals, it issues a rotation command to the motor driver 130 to drive the motor 211 to rotate the operation unit 200.

For example, the CPU 121 reads the operator's information from the signal detected by the ID authentication unit 202 from the memory 122, and determines an appropriate angle of the operation unit 200. Specifically, the ID authentication unit 202 reads the information on the ID card when the ID card is held over. The CPU 121 determines the tilt angle (operation position) of the operation unit 200 based on the information of the operator stored in the ID card and compared with the information stored in the memory 122 at the time of setting. Then, the CPU 121 drives the motor 211 to rotate the operation unit 200 via the gear train 220 and the torque limiter 230. When the CPU 121 detects the rotation to the determined angle by the volume sensor 213, a stop command is issued to the motor driver 130, and the motor 211 is stopped.

When the operation unit 200 is rotated to the maximum rotation position or the horizontal position, the CPU 121 stops the motor 211 when it detects the signal of the photo sensor 241 or 251. In this way, the CPU 121 can tilt the operation unit 200 to an appropriate angle, that is, an operation position that is easy for the authenticated operator to operate, based on the detection result of the ID authentication unit 202.

Here, when the operation unit 200 is rotated in the elevation direction (first position, for example, the maximum rotation position), the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 protrudes upward from the plane including the platen 151. become. When trying to place a document on the document table 151 in this state, especially in the case of a wheelchair operator or a short operator, a part of the document table 151 is hidden by the operation unit 200, and the document from the operator The visibility of the table 151 is reduced. Further, when placing the original on the platen 151, the original must be placed on the platen 151 over the operation unit 200 protruding above the platen 151, which reduces workability.

On the other hand, if the operation unit 200 is set to a horizontal position (second position) as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the upper end of the operation unit 200 is equal to or higher than the height of the platen 151 or this height. Is also located below. Therefore, even if a wheelchair operator or a short operator tries to place a document on the platen 151 in this state, the operation unit 200 does not block the view to the platen 151, and the document is placed on the platen 151. Even when it is placed on 151, it is not necessary to perform an operation such as overcoming the operation unit 200.

Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, the operation unit 200 is rotated by the drive mechanism 210 so as to prevent the above-mentioned deterioration of visibility and workability depending on the state of the ADF 300 detected by the open / close sensor 153. That is, when the ADF 300 is opened, the operation unit 200 is positioned at the second position so that the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 is not located above the platen 151. Specifically, while the operation unit 200 is located at the first position, the open / close sensor 153 detects any state from the state in which the ADF 300 starts shifting from the closed state to the open state to the open state. Suppose you did. In this case, the control unit 120 drives the drive mechanism 210 to move the operation unit 200 to the second position.

An example of the flow of control of the tilt operation of the operation unit 200 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 (a) to 8 (f). First, when the operator reads the ID card by the ID authentication unit 202 and authenticates (S1), the CPU 121 calls the information of this ID registered in advance and changes the current setting to the registered setting. To do. At this time, it is confirmed whether or not the angle setting of the operation unit 200 is registered (S2), and if the angle setting of the operation unit 200 is registered, the operation unit 200 starts to prepare for rotation. Here, as shown in FIG. 8A, it is assumed that the operation unit 200 is located in the horizontal position (home position) and the ADF 300 is in the closed state (first state).

After that, the current rotation position of the operation unit 200 is confirmed by the outputs of the volume sensor 213 and the photo sensors 241 and 251 (S3), and the rotation direction and rotation stop position (rotation stop position) so as to match the registered set angle. The operation position) is determined (S4). After the rotation direction and the rotation stop position are determined, the CPU 121 issues a motor drive command to the motor driver 130 to drive the motor 211 (S5). When the motor 211 is driven, the operation unit 200 rotates via the gear train 220 and the torque limiter 230. At the same time, the volume sensor 213 connected to the shaft 232 of the torque limiter 230 also rotates, the output value of the volume sensor 213 changes, and the tilt position of the operation unit 200 is detected. Then, when the output value of the volume sensor 213 reaches a value corresponding to the determined rotation stop position, the CPU 121 issues a motor stop command, the drive of the motor 211 is stopped, and the rotation of the operation unit 200 is stopped ( S6). Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is assumed that the operation unit 200 is located at the maximum rotation position (first position) and the ADF 300 is in the closed state (second state).

At this time, if the output value of the volume sensor 213 does not reach the value corresponding to the rotation stop position even after a certain period of time has elapsed, an error display is displayed on the operation screen of the operation unit 200 and the drive of the motor 211 is stopped (S7). ). If the operation unit 200 does not have an angle set in S2, the operation unit 200 is not rotated by the motor 211 (S8). Further, after the job such as the print operation (image forming operation) is completed, the operation unit 200 is returned to the home position (second position) in which the operation unit 200 is in a substantially horizontal state at the timing when the image forming apparatus 100 shifts to the sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus is lower than that of the standby mode in which the image forming operation job is waiting, for example, by adjusting the temperature of the fixing device 50 to a temperature lower than that at the time of image forming. The mode. In this way, the operation unit 200 automatically rotates at an angle suitable for the operator based on the information acquired by the ID authentication unit 202, thereby improving visibility and operability.

Subsequently, a case where the document reading device 150 is used will be described. Here, it is assumed that the operation position of the operation unit 200 by the above-mentioned ID card authentication is the first position. When the operator tries to open the ADF 300 while the operation unit 200 is in the first position, the open / close sensor 153 detects the opening operation and the operating speed of the ADF 300 (S9). At this time, when the operation unit 200 is set to rotate in conjunction with the opening and closing of the ADF 300 (S10), the CPU 121 issues a motor drive command to the motor driver 130 to drive the motor 211 (S11). .. Then, the operation unit 200 rotates to the second position where the operation unit 200 is in a substantially horizontal state. At this time, when the CPU 121 detects the signal of the photo sensor 241 that detects that the operation unit 200 is in the second position (home position), it issues a motor stop command to stop the driving of the motor 211, and the operation unit 200 The rotation stops at the second position (S12).

This point will be described in more detail. First, when the open / close sensor 153 detects that the ADF 300 has started shifting from the closed state to the open state, the CPU 121 starts an operation of moving the operation unit 200 from the first position to the second position (FIG. 8 (FIG. 8). c) Third state). For example, when the open / close sensor 153 detects that the ADF 300 has rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 10 °) in the opening direction from the closed state, the operation unit 200 starts tilting.

Further, the setting of whether or not the operation unit 200 rotates in conjunction with the opening and closing of the ADF 300 is registered in advance in the image forming apparatus 100 in connection with the ID so that the setting is automatically reflected at the time of ID authentication. It has become. For example, when the ID of a wheelchair operator or an operator with a short stature is authenticated, the operation unit 200 is set to be tilted in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the ADF 300.

Further, the CPU 121 also detects the opening / closing speed of the ADF 300 from the signal of the opening / closing sensor 153 as described above. Then, the CPU 121 can change the moving speed (tilting speed) of the operation unit 200 according to the opening / closing speed of the ADF 300 detected by the opening / closing sensor 153. In the present embodiment, the CPU 121 detects the opening speed of the ADF 300 by the open / close sensor 153 so that the tilting operation of the operation unit 200 ends at almost the same timing as the movement of the ADF 300 to the open position is completed, and the operation unit It controls 200 tilt speeds. As a result, when the ADF 300 is opened vigorously, the operation unit 200 also rotates quickly, and even in a hurry, the platen 151 can be accessed immediately.

Further, when the ADF 300 is closed to the closed position, the CPU 121 detects the closing speed of the ADF 300 by the open / close sensor 153, controls the tilting speed of the operating unit 200, and tilts the operating unit 200 to the operating position as described later. Then, the tilting operation of the operation unit 200 is also completed at almost the same timing as the movement of the ADF 300 to the closed position is completed.

The speed at which the operation unit 200 tilts in conjunction with the opening and closing of the ADF 300 may be separately set by the operator. For example, the tilting speed of the operation unit 200 may be set to be constant regardless of the opening / closing speed of the ADF 300. Further, in the case where the opening / closing speed of the ADF 300 cannot be detected by the opening / closing sensor 153, the operation unit 200 may be tilted at a constant speed when the opening / closing sensor 153 detects that the ADF 300 has rotated by a predetermined angle.

Here, if the CPU 121 does not detect the signal of the photo sensor 241 even after a certain period of time has elapsed after the tilting operation of the operation unit 200 is started in S12, an error display is displayed on the operation screen of the operation unit 200 and the motor 211 is driven. (S13). Further, if the opening of the ADF 300 is not detected in S9, the operation unit 200 does not tilt (S14). Further, if the operation unit 200 is not set to rotate in conjunction with the opening and closing of the ADF 300 in S10, the operation unit 200 does not tilt even if the ADF 300 is opened (S15). When the operation unit 200 is located at the second position in S10, the operation unit 200 is not tilted.

Next, the ADF 300 is opened as described above, and the original is placed (set) on the platen 151 with the operation unit 200 located at the second position (fourth state in FIG. 8D). Then, in this state, the operator closes the ADF 300. At this time, the open / close sensor 153 detects the closing operation and the operating speed of the ADF 300 (S16). When the CPU 121 detects the closing operation of the ADF 300, it issues a motor drive command to the motor driver 130, and the motor 211 is driven (S17). Then, the operation unit 200 returns to the tilting position (operation position, first position) of the operation unit 200 by the above-mentioned ID card authentication.

That is, it is assumed that the open / close sensor 153 detects any of the states from the start of the transition from the open state to the closed state to the closed state while the operation unit 200 is located at the second position. .. In this case, the control unit 120 drives the drive mechanism 210 to move the operation unit 200 to the first position (operation position). Specifically, when the open / close sensor 153 detects that the ADF 300 has started to shift from the open state to the closed state, the CPU 121 starts an operation of moving the operation unit 200 from the second position to the first position (). 5th state of FIG. 8 (e)). For example, when the open / close sensor 153 detects that the ADF 300 has rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 10 °) in the direction of closing from the open state, the operation unit 200 starts tilting.

At this time, the volume sensor 213 connected to the shaft 232 of the torque limiter 230 also rotates, the output value of the volume sensor 213 changes, and the tilt position of the operation unit 200 is detected. Then, when the output value of the volume sensor 213 reaches a value corresponding to the operation position, a motor stop command is issued from the CPU 121, the drive of the motor 211 is stopped, and the rotation of the operation unit 200 is stopped (S18, FIG. 8 (S18, FIG. 8). The sixth state of f)). When the operation position is the maximum rotation position, when the CPU 121 detects the signal of the photo sensor 251 it issues a motor stop command to stop the driving of the motor 211, and the rotation of the operation unit 200 is the maximum rotation position. Stop at.

Here, if the output value of the volume sensor 213 does not reach the value corresponding to the operation position even after a certain period of time has elapsed after the tilting operation of the operation unit 200 is started in S18, an error display is displayed on the operation screen of the operation unit 200. The drive of the motor 211 is stopped (S19). The same applies when the CPU 121 does not detect the signal of the photo sensor 241 even after a certain period of time has elapsed after the start of the tilting operation of the operation unit 200. If the closing operation of the ADF 300 is not detected in S16, the operation unit 200 does not tilt (S20).

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the ADF 300 is opened, the operation unit 200 is positioned at a substantially horizontal second position. Therefore, the upper end of the operation unit 200 becomes the height of the document base 151 or lower than this height, and when the document is placed on the document table 151, a part of the document table 151 is hidden by the operation unit 200. It is possible to prevent the visibility of the document base 151 from being lowered by the operator. Further, even when the original is placed on the platen 151, it is possible to prevent the operation unit 200 from getting in the way and the workability from being lowered. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the operation unit 200 can be moved so that the original can be easily placed on the platen 151.

Further, when closing the ADF 300, by returning the operation unit 200 to the angle of the original operation position, it is possible to input the reading setting and the like to the operation unit 200 at a position having good visibility and workability.

< First reference example >
The first reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the operation unit 200 is tilted by the signal of the open / close sensor 153 that detects the open / closed state of the ADF 300 has been described. On the other hand, in this reference example , the operation unit 200 is tilted by detecting that the operator has accessed the handle unit 304A of the ADF 300A. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the parts different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

The ADF300A is provided with a handle portion 304A for opening and closing the ADF300A on a part on the front side. The handle portion 304A is a recessed portion so that the operator can easily insert a hand and lift the ADF300A. Contact sensors 310a and 310b as detection means for detecting that the operator has accessed the handle 304A are provided in predetermined ranges on the upper surface and the lower surface of the handle 304A in the recess, respectively. The contact sensors 310a and 310b output signals when the operator touches them (for example, when they touch them by hand).

The CPU 121 (see FIG. 6) detects that the operator has accessed the handle 304A by the contact sensor 310a while the ADF 300A is closed and the operation unit 200 is located at the first position. If so, the operation unit 200 is moved to the second position. Specifically, when the operator puts his / her hand on the upper surface of the handle portion 304A in order to open the ADF 300A, the contact sensor 310a detects it and outputs a signal to the CPU 121. Then, the CPU 121 moves the operation unit 200 to the second position so that the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 does not protrude from the platen 151 (see, for example, FIG. 2A). This makes it easier to place the original on the platen 151.

On the other hand, when the CPU 121 detects that the ADF 300A is in the open state and the contact sensor 310b has accessed the handle 304A from the state in which the operator has not accessed the handle 304A, the CPU 121 moves the operation unit 200 to the first position. Move it. For example, when it is detected that the operator touches the contact sensor 310b while the ADF 300A is open and the operation unit 200 is located at the second position, the operation unit 200 is moved to the first position. Move it. Specifically, when the operator puts his / her hand on the lower surface of the handle portion 304A in order to close the ADF 300A, the contact sensor 310b detects it and outputs a signal to the CPU 121. Then, the CPU 121 moves the operation unit 200 to the tilt position (operation position, first position) of the operation unit 200 by ID card authentication. This makes it easier for the operator to operate the operation unit 200.

If the contact sensor 310a or the contact sensor 310b is touched while the ADF 300A is closed and the operation unit 200 is located at the first position, the operation unit 200 is moved to the second position. You may move it. Similarly, if the contact sensor 310a or the contact sensor 310b is touched while the ADF 300A is in the open state and the operation unit 200 is located in the second position, the operation unit 200 is in the first position. You may move to.

Further, the handle portion 304A may be, for example, a handle protruding to the front side in addition to the concave portion. In this case, a contact sensor is provided on the handle. Further, the contact type sensor may be provided at a predetermined position on the front side of the ADF 300, for example, in addition to the handle portion 304A. In this case, the operator touches the contact sensor to move the operation unit 200.

< Second reference example >
A second reference example will be described with reference to FIG. In the above-mentioned first reference example , a configuration for moving the operation unit 200 when the operator touches the contact type sensors 310a and 310 of the handle unit 304A has been described. On the other hand, in this reference example , the operator's hand approaches the non-contact sensor 320 provided in the handle portion 304B (recess) formed in a concave shape on a part of the ADF300B. By detecting this, the operation unit 200 is tilted. Other configurations and operations are the same as in the first reference example will be described below while focusing on the difference relative to the first reference example.

The ADF300B is provided with a handle portion 304B for opening and closing the ADF300B on a part on the front side. Also in the case of this reference example , the handle portion 304B is a concave portion (formed in a concave shape) so that the operator can easily insert a hand and lift the ADF300B. A non-contact sensor 320 is provided in the handle portion 304B (inside the recess) as a detection means for detecting that the operator has accessed the handle portion 304B. The non-contact sensor 320 outputs a signal when an object enters the handle portion 304bB (inside the handle portion). Specifically, when the operator's hand enters the handle portion 304B and the hand approaches the non-contact sensor 320, the non-contact sensor 320 outputs a signal. That is, even if the operator enters the hand into the handle portion 304bB of the handle portion 304B and the hand does not touch anywhere in the handle portion 304bB, the entry can be detected by the non-contact sensor 320.

The CPU 121 (see FIG. 6) indicates that the operator has accessed the handle 304B by the non-contact sensor 320 while the ADF 300B is closed and the operation unit 200 is located at the first position. When it is detected, the operation unit 200 is moved to the second position. Specifically, when the operator enters the handle portion 304bB of the handle portion 304B in order to open the ADF 300B, the non-contact sensor 320 detects it and outputs a signal to the CPU 121. Then, the CPU 121 moves the operation unit 200 to the second position so that the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 does not protrude from the platen 151 (see, for example, FIG. 2A). This makes it easier to place the original on the platen 151.

On the other hand, when the CPU 121 detects that the ADF 300B is in the open state and the non-contact sensor 320 has accessed the handle portion 304B from the state in which the operator has not accessed the handle portion 304B, the CPU 121 positions the operation unit 200 in the first position. Move to. For example, when the non-contact sensor 320 detects the operator's hand while the ADF 300B is open and the operation unit 200 is located at the second position, the operation unit 200 is moved to the first position. Let me. Specifically, when the operator puts his / her hand into the recess of the handle portion 304B in order to close the ADF 300B, the non-contact sensor 320 detects it and outputs a signal to the CPU 121. Then, the CPU 121 moves the operation unit 200 to the tilt position (operation position, first position) of the operation unit 200 by ID card authentication. This makes it easier for the operator to operate the operation unit 200.

<Second Embodiment>
The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B. In the above-described first embodiment and each reference example , a configuration in which the operation unit 200 is tilted about a shaft 232 (see FIG. 4A), which is a substantially horizontal axis, has been described. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the operation unit 200 is slidably moved by the drive mechanism 210A. Since other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the parts different from those in the first embodiment will be mainly described.

The drive mechanism 210A as a drive unit includes a motor 400, a gear 401, a rack 402, and the like. Similar to the first embodiment, such a drive mechanism 210A is arranged on the back side and the lower side of the operation unit 200 between the portion supporting the operation unit 200 of the apparatus main body 110 and the operation unit 200. The motor 400 can rotate in the forward and reverse directions, a gear is provided on the drive shaft, and rotational drive can be transmitted to the gear 401 via a gear train. The gear 401 meshes with the rack 402, and the gear 401 is rotated by the drive of the motor 400, so that the rack 402 is slid in the direction of arrow C.

The rack 402 is fixed to the back surface side of the operation unit 200, and is supported by the apparatus main body 110 so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow C together with the operation unit 200. Further, the operation unit 200 and the rack 402 are provided so that the operation surface 201 of the operation unit 200 is inclined in the horizontal direction so as to face the front side and upward. The drive mechanism 210A slides the operation unit 200 along the inclination direction (arrow C direction), and can change the height position of the operation unit 200 along the arrow C direction by at least two steps or more. .. Thereby, the operation surface 201 can be set at an appropriate angle according to the height of the operator or with respect to the operator of the wheelchair. As a result, the visibility and operability of the operation unit 200 can be improved for all operators.

Here, as shown in FIG. 11A, the position of the operation unit 200 when the upper end of the operation unit 200 is located above the platen 151 is set as the first position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, the position where the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 is located below the first position and the height of the platen 151 or a position lower than this height is defined as the second position. To do. The drive mechanism 210A of the present embodiment also has a photo sensor, a volume sensor, and the like for detecting the position of the operation unit 200, as in the first embodiment.

In the case of the present embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, the height position of the operation unit 200 can be changed according to the information detected by the ID authentication unit 202 (see FIG. 1). Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the ADF 300 is opened, the operation unit 200 is moved to the second position. That is, the CPU 121 drives the drive mechanism 210A based on the detection of the open / close sensor 153 (see FIG. 6), slides the operation unit 200 in the direction of arrow C1, and the upper end of the operation unit 200 is below the platen 151. It is positioned at the second position. This makes it easier to place the original on the platen 151.

Although the configuration for sliding the operation unit 200 has been described in the present embodiment, such a slide movement may be combined with the tilt operation as in the first embodiment.

<Other Embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment and reference example , the second position is set so that the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 is located below the first position and the height of the platen 151 or lower than this height. However, the second position may be a position where at least the upper end of the operation unit 200 is lower than the first position. That is, even when the upper end of the operation unit 200 is located above the height of the platen 151, the operation unit 200 is moved so that the upper end of the operation unit 200 is lower than the first position. The document can be placed on the platen 151 more easily than when is located at the first position. For example, when the operation unit 200 is located at the maximum rotation position, the upper end portion of the operation unit 200 is located below the maximum rotation position and the upper end portion is the platen 151 as the ADF 300 is opened. Rotate to a position above. In this case, the document can be placed on the platen 151 more easily than when the operation unit 200 is located at the maximum rotation position.

Moreover, each of the above-described embodiments and reference examples can be implemented in appropriate combinations. For example, the second embodiment can be implemented in combination with the first reference example or the second reference example. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments and reference examples , an example in which the ADF is used as the document holding member has been described, but the document holding member may be a document holding plate that does not have such an ADF function. .. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments and reference examples , the image forming apparatus provided with the document reading device has been described, but the present invention can be applied even with the configuration of the document reading device alone.

10 ... Image forming unit / 100 ... Image forming device / 110 ... Device main body / 120 ... Control unit (control means) / 121 ... CPU / 150 ... Original reading device / 151.・ ・ Document stand / 152 ・ ・ ・ Reading unit / 153 ・ ・ ・ Open / close sensor (detection means) / 200 ・ ・ ・ Operation unit / 202 ・ ・ ・ ID authentication unit (information detection unit) / 210, 210A ・ ・ ・ Drive Mechanism (driving unit) / 300, 300A, 300B ... ADF (document holding member) / 304, 304A, 304B ... Handle unit / 310a, 310b ... Contact sensor (detecting means) / 320 ... Non-contact sensor (detection means)

Claims (6)

With the device body
A platen provided on the main body of the apparatus on which a document can be placed, and a platen
A reading unit that reads a document placed on the platen and
A document holding member that can be opened and closed between an open state in which a document can be placed on the platen and a closed state in which the document placed on the platen is held.
A detection means for detecting the open / closed state of the document holding member, and
An operation unit provided on the apparatus main body so that the upper end portion can be moved to a first position where the upper end portion is located above the platen and a second position where the upper end portion is located below the first position.
A drive unit that can move the operation unit and
Any state from the state in which the document holding member starts shifting from the closed state to the open state by the detection means to the open state while the operation unit is located at the first position. when detecting the, Bei example and a control means for moving the operating portion by driving the drive unit to the second position,
The detection means can detect the opening / closing speed of the document holding member, and can detect the opening / closing speed.
The control means can change the moving speed of the operation unit according to the opening / closing speed of the document holding member detected by the detection means.
An image forming apparatus characterized in that. In the control means, the operation unit is located at the second position, and the detection means starts the transition from the open state to the closed state to the closed state. When any of the above states is detected, the driving unit is driven to move the operating unit to the first position.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized in that. The second position is a position where the upper end of the operation unit is at or lower than the height of the platen.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized in that. The operation unit can be tilted about an axis in a substantially horizontal direction, and can be tilted.
The second position is a position where the operation surface of the operation unit is substantially horizontal.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized in that. It has an information detection unit that can detect the operator's information.
When the document holding member is in the closed state, the control means can automatically move the operation unit by driving the drive unit to an operation position corresponding to the information detected by the information detection unit.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized in that. The operating position is the first position.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized in that.

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