JP7196256B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various methods have been developed for inputting data into an apparatus main body in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer, facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions. One of these methods is a near-field wireless communication system (hereafter referred to as NFC) that enables data communication with the device by bringing a mobile terminal or non-contact IC card (authentication card) close to the device. ) has been developed (Patent Document 1).

This image forming apparatus includes a panel section, which is a liquid crystal display touch panel, provided on the upper part of the apparatus main body, and an NFC board having an antenna section provided on the left side of the panel section. In this image forming apparatus, a user brings a portable terminal or an authentication card close to the NFC board, thereby enabling various data communications with the main body of the apparatus by short-range wireless communication.

JP 2014-171156 A

However, in the image forming apparatus of Patent Document 1 described above, the NFC board is arranged on the left side of the panel section. Visibility and operability were poor. In addition, since the NFC board is arranged on the left side of the panel, when the user brings the mobile terminal or the authentication card close to the NFC board, the user's hand, the mobile terminal, or the authentication card touches the panel, causing the device to malfunction. There was a risk that the main body would malfunction, and the operability was poor. In order to solve these problems, it is conceivable to secure a sufficient area on the left side of the panel so that the user's hand, the mobile terminal, and the authentication card do not hang on the panel even if the mobile terminal and the authentication card are brought close to each other. , in this case, the size of the device body is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of improving operability without increasing the size of the apparatus.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an image forming section for forming an image on a sheet and a discharge port for discharging the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming section, wherein the sheet is discharged from the discharge port. a discharge tray on which is stacked, a reading unit that is provided above the discharge tray in the vertical direction at a position that partially overlaps the discharge tray when viewed from above in the vertical direction, and reads the document image; an operation unit provided on the front side of the reading unit in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus and at a position partially overlapping with the discharge tray in the left- right direction of the image forming apparatus; The operation unit includes a touch panel unit that can be touch-operated by a user, and an antenna unit that can communicate with a smartphone using a short-range wireless communication method, and is on the left side of the right end of the touch panel unit in the left-right direction. a communication circuit for signal processing of radio waves transmitted and received through the antenna unit; a detection circuit for detecting current flowing through the antenna unit; the antenna unit, the communication circuit, and the detection circuit; and a communication board provided , wherein the communication board is positioned between an end of the operation section and an end of the touch panel in the short direction of the touch panel and in the longitudinal direction of the touch panel. in the image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is provided at a position overlapping with an area in which the touch panel portion is provided .

According to the present invention, operability can be improved without increasing the size of the device.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing an operation section according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a portable terminal is brought parallel and close to an operation unit according to the first embodiment; 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the mobile terminal is tilted and brought close to the operation unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic front view showing an operation unit according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a mobile terminal is brought parallel and close to an operation unit according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the mobile terminal is tilted and brought close to the operation unit according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an image forming apparatus according to a fourth embodiment;

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in each figure, the front side toward the image forming apparatus 1 is the front direction F, the rear side (back side) is the rear direction B, the left side is the left direction L, and the right side is the right direction. R, the upper side is the upward direction U, and the lower side is the downward direction D. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured such that the user performs various operations from the front direction F side toward the rear direction B side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an electrophotographic multifunction machine having multiple functions of a copier, a printer, and a facsimile. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited to an electrophotographic multifunction machine, and may be an inkjet system or an image forming apparatus having a single function such as a copying machine or a printer.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter referred to as an apparatus main body) 10 . The apparatus main body 10 includes an image reading portion 20, a sheet feeding portion 30, an image forming portion 40 (see FIG. 2), a sheet discharging portion 50, a control portion 60 (see FIG. 2), an operating portion 70, It has The sheet, which is the recording material, is the one on which the toner image is formed, and specific examples include plain paper, a resin sheet that is a substitute for plain paper, thick paper, and an overhead projector sheet.

The image reading unit 20 is, for example, a flatbed scanner device and is provided on the upper part of the device body 10 . The image reading unit 20 includes a platen glass (not shown) serving as a document table, a light source (not shown) that irradiates the document placed on the platen glass with light, and an image sensor (not shown) that converts reflected light into a digital signal. etc.

The sheet feeding unit 30 is arranged in the lower part of the apparatus main body 10, and includes sheet cassettes 31a and 31b for storing stacked sheets such as recording paper. send.

The image forming section 40 has an image forming unit, a toner bottle, an intermediate transfer unit, a secondary transfer section, a fixing device, etc., all of which are not shown, and can form an image on a sheet based on image information from the control section 60. is.

The sheet discharge unit 50 includes discharge rollers 51 for discharging sheets after image formation, and a discharge tray 52 arranged downstream of the discharge rollers 51 . The discharge roller 51 discharges the sheet on which the image is formed to the discharge tray 52 through the discharge port 10 a formed in the apparatus main body 10 . The discharge tray 52 is a face-down tray and stacks sheets discharged from the discharge port 10a. Further, the space between the image reading section 20 and the discharge tray 52 constitutes the body interior space section 12 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 60 is composed of a computer, for example, a CPU 61, a ROM 62 for storing programs for controlling each unit, a RAM 63 for temporarily storing data, and an input/output unit for inputting/outputting signals from/to the outside. A circuit (I/F) 64 is provided. The control unit 60 is connected to the image reading unit 20, the sheet feeding unit 30, the image forming unit 40, the sheet discharging unit 50, and the operation unit 70 via an input/output circuit 64, and exchanges signals with each unit and performs operations. Control.

Next, the operation unit 70, which is a feature of the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the operation unit 70 can execute communication with a user's portable terminal (communication means, eg, smart phone) 101 by a short-range wireless communication method (hereinafter referred to as NFC method). The communication means is not limited to the mobile terminal, and may be a non-contact type IC card.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation section 70 is provided on the upper front side of the device main body 10 . In this embodiment, the operation unit 70 is arranged on the front direction F side of the image reading unit 20, and is provided at a position where it is easy for the user to operate. The operation unit 70 is integrated with the apparatus main body 10 and is fixed to the apparatus main body 10 so as not to move. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the operation unit 70 has a panel unit 71 , an NFC board (communication unit) 72 and an input unit 73 .

The panel unit 71 is provided substantially horizontally, and is configured by stacking, for example, a resistive or capacitive touch panel and a liquid crystal display panel in the thickness direction. The panel unit 71 can perform various input operations by pressing operation keys displayed on the touch panel. The panel section 71 is connected to the control section 60 of the apparatus main body 10 and can execute at least one of displaying information obtained from the control section 60 and inputting information to the control section 60 . Specifically, the panel unit 71 displays the remaining amount of sheets and the remaining amount of toner supplied to the apparatus main body 10, a warning message when these consumables run out, a procedure for replenishing consumables, and the like. , to display information necessary for the user to operate the image forming apparatus 1 . The panel unit 71 also accepts user operation inputs such as sheet size and basis weight, image density adjustment, and setting of the number of sheets to be output.

The NFC board 72 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 74 made up of a loop antenna, a communication circuit 75 and a detection section 76 . That is, the NFC board 72 is capable of communicating between the mobile terminal 101 and the control unit 60 that are brought close to the antenna 74 by the NFC method. Further, in this embodiment, the antenna 74 , the communication circuit 75 , and the detection section 76 are integrated with the NFC board 72 . That is, the panel portion 71 and the antenna 74 are integrated with the device main body 10 and are fixed to the device main body 10 so as not to move. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the antenna may be arranged at a position away from the NFC board, and the antenna and the NFC board may be connected with a cable. In this case, the degree of freedom in positioning the antenna can be increased.

Antenna 74 can transmit and receive radio waves to and from portable terminal 101 that is in close proximity using the NFC system, thereby enabling communication. The communication circuit 75 performs signal processing on transmitted and received radio waves. The detector 76 detects the intensity of radio waves received by the antenna 74 (received waves) and radio waves transmitted from the antenna 74 (transmitted waves) by detecting the current flowing through the antenna 74 .

Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the NFC board 72 integrated with the antenna 74 is arranged below the panel section 71 and near the panel section 71 when the panel section 71 is viewed from the front. Note that the front view here is the panel section 71 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the panel surface in the direction of normal use.

In this embodiment, since the panel section 71 is provided substantially horizontally, the antenna 74 is arranged on the front direction F side of the panel section 71 with respect to the device main body 10 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the antenna 74 is provided at the front end portion 70a of the operating portion 70 of the apparatus main body 10. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the NFC board 72 is arranged near the upper portion (front side) of the operation unit 70 . Accordingly, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 72, it is possible to prevent the panel section 71 from being hidden by the user's hand. Also, since the NFC board 72 is arranged near the panel section 71 , the user can easily know the position of the NFC board 72 .

The input unit 73 has, for example, a numeric keypad for inputting numbers, a key for inputting start or stop of the device, and the like. The input section 73 is provided on the right direction R side of the panel section 71 in this embodiment. That is, the input section 73 is arranged on at least one side of the panel section 71 in the left-right direction, and can input information to the control section 60 . Accordingly, when the user operates the panel portion 71 while visually recognizing it, it is possible to prevent the panel portion 71 from being hidden by the hand.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 101 is, for example, a smartphone, and includes a terminal control section 160, an NFC board 172, a panel section 171, and the like.

The terminal control unit 160, like the control unit 60, is composed of a computer, and includes, for example, a CPU 161, a ROM 162 that stores programs, a RAM 163 that temporarily stores data, and an input/output circuit ( I/F) 164. The NFC board 172 can communicate with the operation unit 70 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 174 formed of a loop antenna, a communication circuit 175, and a detection unit 176, similarly to the NFC board 72. FIG. The NFC board 172 is attached to the back surface side of the mobile terminal 101 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the panel section 171 is provided). The panel unit 171 has a configuration in which a resistive or capacitive touch panel and a liquid crystal display panel are stacked in the thickness direction. By pressing an operation key displayed on the touch panel, Various input operations can be performed. That is, the operation section 70 can operate the image forming section 40 and the like via the control section 60 . In order to communicate between the operation unit 70 and the mobile terminal 101 using the NFC method, the mobile terminal 101 needs to be brought close to the antenna 74 so that the distance between the two communicating antennas 74 and 174 is within the communication range.

Next, an operation of performing NFC communication with mobile terminal 101 in image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, the case where the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the operation unit 70 with the portable terminal 101 substantially parallel to the operation unit 70 will be described. In this case, a guidance for holding the mobile terminal 101 over is displayed on the panel section 71 . The user brings mobile terminal 101 close to the radio wave area of NFC board 72, and brings mobile terminal 101 close to antenna 74 and antenna 174 so that antenna 74 and antenna 174 are within distance L1, thereby enabling communication. When the antenna 74 and the antenna 174 come close to each other within the distance L1, the control section 60 performs authentication and the like, and the respective panel sections 71 and 171 display the result of the authentication. In this case, the hand holding the portable terminal 101 does not overlap the panel section 71, so that the probability of the panel section 71 being hidden or the operation keys of the panel section 71 being pressed by mistake can be reduced. Further, since the NFC board 72 having the antenna 74 is arranged near the panel section 71, the user can easily see the guidance and the operability is high. Furthermore, since the user can visually recognize each of the panel sections 71 and 171 almost without moving his/her line of sight (in FIG. 4, dashed line), the operability is further improved.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the case where the user tilts the mobile terminal 101 with respect to the operation unit 70 to bring the mobile terminal 101 closer to the operation unit 70 will be described. In this case, the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the antenna so that the antenna 74 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L2, thereby enabling communication. Here, on the front surface of the apparatus main body 10 , that is, on the front end portion 70 a of the operation portion 70 , the front end of the mobile terminal 101 is moved away from the panel portion 71 so that the mobile terminal 101 does not touch the panel portion 71 . As a result, the NFC board 172 on the mobile terminal 101 side can be brought close to the radio wave, and communication can be performed between the antennas 74 and 174 .

In either case, since the position of the NFC board 72 is away from the right side of the panel section 71 where the input section 73 is arranged, an erroneous operation such as touching the input keys of the input section 73 during NFC communication is prevented. .

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the antenna 74 is arranged below the panel section 71 and near the panel section 71 when the panel section 71 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 74, the panel section 71 is prevented from being hidden by the user's hand and the panel section 71 is prevented from coming into contact with the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101. can. Further, since a flat space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the size of the operation unit 70 can be reduced. As a result, operability can be improved without increasing the size of the device body 10 .

Here, if the NFC board 72 is arranged on the right direction R side of the panel section 71, when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with the left hand, the panel section 71 may be hidden by the arm or may be touched by the hand. more likely to do. In general, since the input unit 73 is arranged close to the right direction R side of the panel unit 71, the NFC board 72 needs to be arranged further to the right direction R side than the input unit 73. The distance from 71 to the NFC board 72 increases, and the operability while looking at the panel section 71 deteriorates.

Further, if the NFC board 72 is arranged on the left side L, there is a possibility that the panel part 71 may be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with the right hand. becomes higher. Furthermore, when the NFC board 72 is arranged on the rearward B side, when the mobile terminal 101 is brought close to the NFC board 72 with either the right hand or the left hand, the panel section 71 may be hidden by the arm or may be touched by the hand. more likely to.

In contrast, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the NFC board 72 is arranged on the front F side of the panel section 71 . Therefore, the panel portion 71 is less likely to be hidden by the arm or touched by the hand, and the possibility of erroneous operation is low because the input portion 73 is arranged in the horizontal direction of the panel portion 71 .

Further, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the antenna 74 is arranged at the front end portion 70 a of the operation unit 70 , the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card can be operated with the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card upright in front of the operation unit 70 . communication becomes possible. As a result, for example, even when the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the operation unit 70 while hanging it from the neck, communication with the operation unit 70 becomes possible. In this case as well, the possibility of touching the panel portion 71 and the input portion 73 can be reduced, and by ensuring the visibility of the panel portion 71, further improvement in operability can be realized.

<Second embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation section is an operation unit 270 that is separate from the apparatus main body 10 and is provided movably with respect to the apparatus main body 10 . However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the reference numerals are the same and the detailed description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit 270 is composed of an upright operation panel provided on the upper front side of the apparatus main body 10 via an arm 277 . The operation unit 270 is separate from the apparatus main body 10 and is movably supported by an arm 277 with respect to the apparatus main body 10 . As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the operation unit 270 has a panel section 271 , an NFC board (communication section) 272 and an input section 273 .

The panel section 271 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured by stacking, for example, a resistive or capacitive touch panel and a liquid crystal display panel in the thickness direction. The NFC board 272 can communicate with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC method, and has an antenna 274 made up of a loop antenna, a communication circuit 275 and a detection section 276 . That is, the NFC board 272 is capable of communicating between the mobile terminal 101 and the control unit 60 that are brought close to the antenna 274 by the NFC method. The panel portion 271 and the antenna 274 are integrated with the device main body 10 and are fixed to the device main body 10 so as not to move.

Here, the NFC board 272 integrated with the antenna 274 is arranged below the panel section 271 and near the panel section 271 when the panel section 271 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, since the panel section 271 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 274 is arranged on the downward direction D side of the panel section 271 with respect to the device main body 10 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the antenna 274 is provided on the edge 270a of the operation unit 270. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 272, it is possible to prevent the panel section 271 from being hidden by the hand. Also, since the NFC board 272 is arranged near the panel section 71 , the user can easily know the position of the NFC board 272 .

Next, an operation of performing NFC communication with mobile terminal 101 in image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, the case where the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the operation unit 270 with the mobile terminal 101 substantially parallel to the operation unit 270 will be described. In this case, a guidance for holding the mobile terminal 101 over is displayed on the panel unit 271 . The user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the radio wave area of the NFC board 272, and brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 274 so that the antenna 174 is within the distance L3, thereby enabling communication. When the antenna 274 and the antenna 174 come close to each other within the distance L3, the control section 60 performs authentication and the like, and the respective panel sections 271 and 171 display the result of the authentication. In this case, since the hand holding the portable terminal 101 does not overlap the panel portion 271, the probability of the panel portion 271 being hidden or the operation keys of the panel portion 271 being pressed by mistake can be reduced. Further, since the NFC board 272 having the antenna 274 is arranged near the panel section 271, the user can easily see the guidance and the operability is high. Furthermore, since the user can visually recognize each of the panel sections 271 and 171 almost without moving his/her line of sight (in FIG. 8, dashed-dotted lines), operability is further improved.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the case where the user tilts the mobile terminal 101 with respect to the operation unit 270 to bring the mobile terminal 101 closer to the operation unit 270 will be described. In this case, the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the antenna so that the antenna 274 and the antenna 174 are within the distance L4, thereby enabling communication. Here, at the edge portion 270 a of the operation unit 270 , the tip of the mobile terminal 101 is moved away from the panel portion 271 so that the mobile terminal 101 does not touch the panel portion 271 . As a result, the NFC board 172 on the mobile terminal 101 side is brought close to the radio wave, and communication can be performed between the antennas 274 and 174 .

As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment as well, the antenna 274 is arranged below the panel section 271 and near the panel section 271 when the panel section 271 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 274, the panel section 271 is prevented from being hidden by the user's hand, and the panel section 271 is prevented from coming into contact with the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101. can. Further, since a flat space for the mobile terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the size of the operation unit 270 can be reduced. As a result, operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1 .

Also in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the antenna 274 is arranged on the edge portion 270a of the operation unit 270, communication can be performed while the portable terminal 101 and the authentication card are tilted under the operation unit 270. It becomes possible to As a result, for example, even when the user brings the portable terminal 101 close to the operation unit 270 while hanging it from the neck, communication with the operation unit 270 becomes possible.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a panel portion 371 of an operation portion 370 is provided substantially vertically. However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the reference numerals are the same and the detailed description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the operation section 370 is configured by an upright operation panel provided on the upper front wall 11 of the body interior space (recess) 12 of the apparatus main body 10 . In this embodiment, the operation unit 370 is arranged on the front direction F side of the image reading unit 20, and is provided at a position where it is easy for the user to operate. The operation unit 370 is integrated with the device main body 10 and is fixed to the device main body 10 so as not to move. The operation unit 370 has a panel unit 371 , an NFC board (communication unit) 372 and an input unit 373 .

The panel section 371 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured by stacking, for example, a resistive or capacitive touch panel and a liquid crystal display panel in the thickness direction. The NFC board 372 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC system, and has an antenna 374 that is a loop antenna.

Here, the NFC board 372 integrated with the antenna 374 is arranged below the panel section 371 and near the panel section 371 when the panel section 371 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, since the panel section 71 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 374 is arranged on the downward direction D side of the panel section 371 with respect to the device main body 10 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the antenna 374 is provided above the trunk space 12 formed in the device main body 10 and recessed toward the rear side.

In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of executing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 101 is the same as that of the second embodiment having the substantially vertical panel section 271. Description is omitted.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment as well, the antenna 374 is arranged below the panel section 371 and near the panel section 371 when the panel section 371 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 374, the panel section 371 is prevented from being hidden by the user's hand, and the panel section 371 is prevented from coming into contact with the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101. can. Further, since a plane space for the portable terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the size of the operation unit 370 can be reduced. As a result, operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1 .

<Fourth Embodiment>
A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the operation section is an operation unit 470 that is separate from the apparatus main body 10 and is provided movably with respect to the apparatus main body 10 . However, since the configuration other than this is the same as that of the first embodiment, the reference numerals are the same and the detailed description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the operation unit 470 is composed of an upright operation panel which is provided on a base 477 so as to be able to stand on its own. The operation unit 470 is separate from the apparatus main body 10 , is connected to the control section 60 of the apparatus main body 10 by a cable 478 , and is movably supported with respect to the apparatus main body 10 . The operating unit 470 can be placed at any suitable position within reach of the cable 478 . The operation unit 470 has a panel section 471 , an NFC board (communication section) 472 and an input section 473 .

The panel section 471 is provided substantially vertically, and is configured by stacking, for example, a resistive or capacitive touch panel and a liquid crystal display panel in the thickness direction. The NFC board 472 is capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 101 by the NFC system, and has an antenna 474 that is a loop antenna. The NFC board 472 integrated with the antenna 474 is arranged below the panel section 471 and near the panel section 471 when the panel section 471 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, since the panel portion 471 is provided substantially vertically, the antenna 474 is arranged on the downward direction D side of the panel portion 471 with respect to the device main body 10 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, the antenna 474 is provided on the edge 470a of the operation unit 470. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the NFC board 472, it is possible to prevent the panel section 471 from being hidden by the user's hand.

In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the operation of executing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 101 is the same as that of the second embodiment having the substantially vertical panel section 271. Description is omitted.

As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment as well, the antenna 474 is arranged below the panel section 471 and near the panel section 471 when the panel section 471 is viewed from the front. Therefore, when the user brings the mobile terminal 101 close to the antenna 474, the panel section 471 is prevented from being hidden by the user's hand, and the panel section 471 is prevented from coming into contact with the user's hand or the mobile terminal 101. can. Further, since a plane space for the portable terminal 101 and the authentication card is not required, the size of the operation unit 470 can be reduced. As a result, operability can be improved without increasing the size of the image forming apparatus 1 .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image forming apparatus 10... Apparatus main body 12... Body space part (concave part) 40... Image forming part 60... Control part 70, 370... Operation part 70a... Front end part 71, 271, 371, 471... Panel part 72, 272, 372, 472... NFC board (communication part) 73, 273, 373, 473... Input part 74, 274, 374, 474... Antenna 101... Mobile terminal (communication means), 270, 470... operation unit (operation part), 270a, 470a... edge.

Claims (13)

An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet and a discharge port for discharging the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit,
a discharge tray on which sheets discharged from the discharge port are stacked;
a reading unit provided above the discharge tray in the vertical direction at a position partially overlapping the discharge tray when viewed from above in the vertical direction, for reading an image of a document;
an operation unit provided on the front side of the reading unit in the front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus and provided at a position partially overlapping with the discharge tray in the left-right direction of the image forming apparatus;
has
The operation unit is
a touch panel unit that can be touch-operated by the user;
an antenna unit capable of communicating with a smartphone using a short-range wireless communication method , the antenna unit being located on the left side of the right end of the touch panel unit in the left-right direction;
a communication circuit that performs signal processing on radio waves transmitted and received through the antenna unit;
a detection circuit that detects a current flowing through the antenna;
a communication board provided with the antenna unit, the communication circuit, and the detection circuit;
with
The communication board is positioned between an end portion of the operation portion and an end portion of the touch panel portion in the short direction of the touch panel portion and overlaps a region where the touch panel portion is provided in the longitudinal direction of the touch panel portion. located in the
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The antenna unit is provided on the left side of the communication circuit in the left-right direction,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: The antenna unit is provided on the left side of the detection circuit in the left-right direction,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The detection circuit detects the intensity of radio waves transmitted and received via the antenna unit.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The operation unit is arranged on the right side of the center of the image forming apparatus in the left-right direction,
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: The operation unit has an input key that allows a user to perform an input operation on the right side of the antenna unit in the horizontal direction.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: further comprising a control unit provided in the image forming apparatus and electrically connected to the operation unit;
The control unit receives an input operation from the touch panel unit,
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The control unit causes the touch panel unit to display information represented by the detection result of the detection circuit .
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein: A processing result performed by short-range wireless communication is displayed on the smartphone in response to the smartphone coming within a predetermined distance from the antenna unit;
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by: A front end portion of the operation portion in the front-rear direction is provided at a position above the discharge tray,
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The discharge tray is located in the space formed by the image forming apparatus and the reading unit so that the user can take out the sheet discharged from the discharge port from the downstream side in the sheet discharging direction and from the front side. is provided,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by: further comprising a discharge roller for discharging the sheet from the discharge port;
The discharge roller discharges the sheet from the right side to the left side of the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by: The communication board is provided inside the operation unit and positioned between a front end portion of the operation unit and a front end portion of the touch panel unit in the front-rear direction.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by:

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