JPH07102850A - Cover opening/closing mechanism for electrophotography recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To present such a danger that the hand of an operator is pinched between a cover and a casing and injured by sudden closure of the cover pro vided on the upper face of an electrography recording device capably of being opened/closed. CONSTITUTION:On a cover 13 rotationally movably fitted to the upper end face of a casing setting the one end as a fulcrum, a sun gear 13b which is moved integratedly and rotationally centering around the fulcrum of the cover is provided, and in addition a first planet gear revolving centering around the fulcrum while engaging with the sun gear 13b is mounted on a first arm 15 rotationally movably provided inside the cover 13. A second arm 19 which is rotationally moved setting the position between the rotational movement fulcrum of the first arm 15 and the fitted position of the first planet gear 16 as a rotational movement fulcrum is provided, and further a second planet gear 21 engaged with the first planet gear 16 and an oil damper 20 adding a load to the rotation of the first planet gear 16 through the second planet gear 21 are fitted to the lower end of the second arm 19. Hence the cover 13 is slowly rotationally moved by the load of the oil damper 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device for sequentially feeding out a plurality of pre-stored sheets of paper one by one and transferring an image such as a character or a figure described in an original to record it on the sheet. The present invention relates to a cover opening / closing mechanism in a photographic recording device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of a conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus, and 6 is a side view showing a cover opening / closing mechanism in the conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus. In FIGS. 5 and 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing of the electrophotographic recording apparatus, 2 denotes an openable cover provided on the top surface of the housing 1 of the housing 1, one end of which is a fulcrum 2a and the other end is a free end. Equipped with a knob 2b on the side,
The knob 2b is opened and closed by rotating the knob 2b in the vertical direction about the fulcrum 2a as shown by the arrow in the figure.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a paper cassette detachably provided at the lower end of the housing 1, and a plurality of recording papers 4 are stored in the paper cassette 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a hopping roller arranged above one end of the paper cassette 3 and is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing to allow the paper cassette 3 to rotate.
The recording sheets 4 therein are fed one by one to the sheet traveling path.

Numeral 6 is a running roller disposed forward of the hopping roller 5 in the paper running direction, and the printing paper 4 is run sequentially in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Reference numeral 7 denotes a paper guide which is arranged to change the traveling direction of the recording paper 4. The recording paper 4 which has been traveling from the front side of the apparatus to the inner side of the apparatus is fed from a paper discharge port 8 provided in the cover 2 to the apparatus. It is guided so that it will be discharged in the front direction.

Reference numeral 9 denotes an LED head as an optical reading means, which optically reads an image written on a document set on the upper surface of the cover 2. A developing device 10 develops the image data read by the LED head 9,
Reference numeral 11 denotes a toner cartridge for transferring the image data developed by the developing device 10 to the recording paper 4, 12
Is a fixing device for fixing the image transferred by the toner cartridge 10 onto the recording paper 4, and these constitute an electrophotographic recording device.

When printing on the recording paper 4 in the electrophotographic recording apparatus having such a structure, first, the original to be printed is set on the original plate on the upper surface of the cover 2, and then the operation switch (not shown) is operated. Then, an instruction to start the printing operation is given. As a result, the LED head 9 optically reads the image written on the original, and the read image data is developed on the recording paper 4 fed from the paper cassette 3 by the hopping roller 5 via the developing device 11. Then, the toner cartridge 1 is added to the developed image data.
When the toner is attached from 0 and is fixed by the fixing device 12, the recording paper 4 is printed.

Incidentally, these image processes are performed by the recording paper 4
Is carried out while the paper is unwound from the paper cassette 3 and traveling on the paper traveling path in the housing 1. In this way, the recording paper 4 on which the desired image data has been fixed is guided by the paper guide 7 in the traveling direction toward the paper discharge port 8, and is guided to the outside of the housing 1 through the paper discharge port 8 formed on the upper surface of the cover 2. Then, the printing operation by the electrophotographic recording device is completed.

In such an electrophotographic recording apparatus, in order to remove a paper jam and try to remove it, or to replace the toner cartridge 10, the user first opens the cover 2 as shown in FIG. Work. The cover 2 is closed during operation of the apparatus as shown in FIG. 5, and at this time, the cover 2 is a knob 2b formed on the free end side thereof.
Is locked by being locked to a lock portion 1b formed on the side surface of the housing 1 side corresponding to the position of the knob 2b.

When opening such a cover 2, the knob 2b is pushed from the side toward the center to release the lock with the lock portion 1b, and then the knob 2b side is pulled upward to support the fulcrum 2a. At the position where it is opened until the cover 2 has an obtuse angle,
A fulcrum 2a formed on the housing 1 side engages with an engaging portion (not shown) formed on the cover 2 side, and if a force is applied in the closing direction, the fulcrum 2a is stationary in a rotating state. As a result, the mechanical portion inside the housing 1 is exposed, so that the operator removes the jammed paper or replaces the toner cartridge 10.

When the cover 2 is closed after the work is completed, the knob 2b of the cover 2 which is stationary in an obtuse angle state.
When it is rotated about the fulcrum 2a as if it were pulled downward and turned to a horizontal state, the knob 2b engages with the lock portion 1b of the housing 1 and the cover 2 is locked.

[0011]

However, in the above-described conventional technique, the open cover is always stationary in a rotatable state only by applying a force in the closing direction. Touch the cover,
Alternatively, when the cover 2 is in an acute angle state due to a large impact or a signal, the cover 2 may be disengaged from the fulcrum and may suddenly rotate downward and close due to its own weight. At this time, if a work such as clearing a paper jam or replacing the toner cartridge is being performed, as shown in the explanatory view showing the conventional problem in FIG. 7, a work is performed between the housing 1 and the cover 2. There was a problem that the person's hand could be caught and injured.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and there is a risk that an operator may get injured by pinching his / her hand between the cover and the housing due to sudden closure of the cover. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrophotographic recording apparatus which is excellent in operability and has high safety by preventing the deterioration of the property.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention opens and closes by rotating a cover rotatably mounted on the upper surface of a substantially box-shaped housing with one end as a fulcrum. In the cover opening and closing mechanism of the electrophotographic recording device,
A sun gear that rotates integrally with the cover around the rotation fulcrum when the cover is opened and closed is formed at the end of the cover on the rotation fulcrum side, and the rotation fulcrum when the cover is opened and closed while meshing with the sun gear. A first gear that revolves around the center is attached to the lower end of a first arm that is rotatably provided on the inner surface of the cover about the rotation fulcrum, and
A second arm that rotates about a rotation fulcrum between the rotation fulcrum of the first arm and the mounting position of the first planetary gear is attached to the first arm, and the lower end of the second arm is attached. A second planetary gear that rotates in mesh with the first gear, and a cushioning member that applies a load to the rotation of the first planetary gear through the second planetary gear,
When the cover is rotated to open and close, a load is exerted by the buffer member against the weight of the cover so that the cover can be rotated slowly.

[0014]

With the above-described structure, when the cover is first opened, when the free end side of the cover is lifted to rotate upward about the rotation fulcrum, the sun gear also rotates integrally with the cover. Then, as the sun gear operates, the first planetary gear provided at the lower end of the first arm meshing with the sun gear also rotates, and the first planetary gear meshing with the first planetary gear also rotates. The 2nd planetary gear also rotates. And
At this time, since the second arm to which the second planetary gear is attached is provided with the buffer member for applying a load to the first planetary gear through the second planetary gear,
The load of this buffer member is applied to the first planetary gear by the rotation of the second planetary gear.

Since the first planetary gear meshes with the sun gear that rotates integrally with the cover, a load is applied to the rotational movement of the first planetary gear and the sun gear, and as a result, A load is generated in the turning operation of the cover, and the cover is opened and closed by slowly turning. Therefore, even if the cover is accidentally touched and rotated in the closing direction at the time of clearing the paper jam or replacing the toner cartridge,
It is prevented that an operator is injured by being caught in his hand.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a cover opening / closing mechanism of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view and a side view of an essential part showing the cover opening / closing mechanism, and FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state where a cover is about to be opened. [Fig. 3] is a side view of a state in which a cover is about to be closed.

1 to 4, reference numeral 13 is a cover of an electrophotographic recording apparatus which is provided so as to be opened and closed by pivoting vertically on one end side as a pivot, and 14 is the cover 13.
Is a base of a housing supporting one end side of the pair of protrusions 14a. It has a shaft 14b horizontally toward the outside.

A shaft hole 13a is formed on both outer side surfaces of the cover 13. By inserting and engaging the shaft 14b of the base 14, the shaft 14b and the shaft hole 13a allow the cover 13 to rotate. It constitutes a dynamic fulcrum and rotatably supports the cover 13. Reference numeral 13b denotes a fan-shaped sun gear projecting forward from one end surface of the cover 13, which is a fulcrum of rotation, and the sun gear 13b is integrally formed with the cover 13. Therefore, when the cover 13 rotates, the sun gear 13b is integrally formed. Rotate.

Reference numeral 15 is a first arm provided on one side surface of the base 14, and a hole 15a provided at the upper end is provided with the shaft 14
The hole 15a is rotatably supported by engaging the hole 15a with the hole 15a, and a first planetary gear 16 that rotates by meshing with the sun gear 13b is provided at the lower end. 17
Is a stud that rotatably attaches the first planetary gear 16 to the first arm 15, and 18 is a wave washer arranged between the head of the stud 17 and the first planetary gear 16. .

Numeral 19 is rotatably provided on the back side of the first arm 15 about a pivot fulcrum 19a provided between the hole 15a of the first arm 15 and the first planetary gear 16. This second arm 19 has a second planet gear 21 rotatably provided at the lower end thereof via an oil damper 20 as a buffer member, and meshes with the first planet gear 16. I am trying to rotate it.

Further, the first arm 15 is formed with a stopper 22 projecting from the right side surface thereof to the back surface side, and the second arm 19 is overlapped with the first arm 15 by the stopper 22. Therefore, the first arm 15 is regulated so that it cannot rotate counterclockwise. 23
Reference numeral 24 denotes a first projection that restricts the rotation of the first arm 15 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure at a predetermined angle, and 24 denotes a first projection that restricts the rotation of the second arm 19 in the counterclockwise direction at the predetermined angle. Similarly, the second projection 25 and the third projection 25 are third projections for restricting the rotation of the second arm 19 in the clockwise direction in the figure at a predetermined angle, and these projections are formed on one side surface of the base 14.

The opening / closing operation of the cover having the above-mentioned structure will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the cover 13 is opened as shown in FIG. 3, the shaft hole 13a and the shaft 14b attached to the base 14 are lifted by raising a free end side (not shown) of the cover 13, and the cover 13 is rotated as shown in FIG. It is rotated in the direction of arrow A shown, that is, in the counterclockwise direction. As a result, the sun gear 13b integrally formed with the cover 13 also rotates counterclockwise about the rotation fulcrum.

By this rotation operation, the first planetary gear 16
Tries to rotate in the direction of arrow b in the figure, but the rotation is blocked by the wave washer 18 shown in FIG.
A rotational moment in the direction of arrow c acts on the planet gear 16 of No. 1, and the rotational moment causes the first planet gear 16 to revolve and move in the direction of arrow C in the figure. However, since the second protrusion 24 is formed on the base 14, the lower end of the second arm 19 comes into contact with the second protrusion 24 and its rotation is blocked.

As a result, only the first arm 15 has the hole 1
The first arm 15 and the second arm 19 are rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the first planetary gear 16 is disengaged from the second planetary gear 21 by the oil damper 20, and the first planetary gear 16 is disengaged from the second planetary gear 21. Go. Therefore, the rotation operation of the cover 13 is light because the first planetary gear 16 does not receive the load of the oil damper 20 via the second planetary gear 21.

When the first planetary gear 16 further advances in the direction of arrow C, the lower portion of the first arm 15 abuts on the first projection 23 as shown in FIG. Then, the first arm 15 stops at this position. At this position, the sun gear 13b and the first planetary gear 16 mesh with each other, and when a force to release the cover 13 in the direction of the arrow A in the figure acts, the sun gear 13b and the first planetary gear 16 rotate to rotate. The cover 13 is rotated and stopped until the end of the sun gear 13b reaches the maximum opening angle that meshes with the first planetary gear 16. As a result, the cover 13 is brought into an open state in which the jammed paper can be removed and the built-in parts can be replaced. Therefore, the worker can perform a predetermined work while inserting his / her hand into the base 14 of the housing. To do.

Next, the case where the cover 13 is closed will be described with reference to FIG. The first arm 15 and the second arm 19 are
From the position shown in FIG. 3, that is, the position in which the cover is open, when the cover 13 is rotated so as to pull it down in the direction of arrow B in FIG.
It rotates together with 3 in the clockwise direction in the figure. Due to this rotation, the first planetary gear 16 also rotates and moves in the direction of the arrow d in the figure together with the first arm 15 that rotates about the hole 15a as a rotation fulcrum, and eventually becomes the second planetary gear 21. Mesh.

At this time, the first arm 15 begins to overlap with the second arm 19, and the second arm 19 moves to the right end of the first arm 15 due to the rotation moment of the sun gear 13b and the moment of the oil damper 20. After contacting the stopper 22 formed in the above and rotating to a position where the rotation is blocked, the first arm 15 completely overlaps, and the first gear 16 and the second gear 21 mesh with each other. The state becomes as shown in.

When the cover 13 is further rotated so as to be closed, the first arm 15 and the second arm 19 remain overlapped with each other, and the first gear 16 and the second gear 21 mesh with each other. In the state, it rotates in the clockwise direction in the figure, and eventually rotates until the lower end of the second arm 19 comes into contact with the third protrusion 25. As a result, the first arm 15 and the second arm 19 are fixed at a predetermined angle while being overlapped,
The load due to the oil damper 20 acts on the first planetary gear 16 via the second gear 21, and further from the first gear 16 to the sun gear 13b, so that the cover 13 slowly moves due to the action of this load. It will rotate in the B direction and close.

As a result, when the user releases his / her hand from the cover 13 which is being rotated to close it, or when the user accidentally touches the cover 13 when the cover is fully opened, the cover 13 suddenly closes. Never fall into
There is no risk of an operator getting injured by pinching his hand between the housing and the cover 13.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, an electrophotographic recording apparatus which opens and closes by rotating a cover rotatably mounted on the upper surface of a substantially box-shaped housing with one end as a fulcrum. In the cover opening / closing mechanism, a sun gear that rotates integrally with the cover around the rotation fulcrum at the time of opening / closing the cover is formed at the end of the cover on the rotation fulcrum side, and the cover is engaged with the sun gear while engaging with the sun gear. A first gear, which revolves around a rotation fulcrum at the time of opening and closing, is attached to a lower end of a first arm rotatably provided on the inner surface of the cover about the rotation fulcrum, and the first gear is attached. A second arm that rotates about a rotation fulcrum between the rotation fulcrum of the arm and the mounting position of the first planetary gear 16 is attached to the first arm, and the lower end of the second arm is provided with the above-mentioned With the first gear A second planetary gear that engages with the rotation, the through the second planetary gears first planetary gear 1
6 is attached to a buffer member for applying a load to the rotation, and when the cover is rotated to open and close, the load of the buffer member is exerted against the dead weight of the cover, so that the cover is rotated slowly. It was made to become.

For this reason, when the jammed paper is removed or the toner cartridge is being replaced, the cover may be accidentally touched, or a large shock or vibration may be applied to close the cover. Even if it becomes an acute angle, the cover does not suddenly rotate downward due to its own weight and closes as in the conventional example, and the cover is rotated by the load from the cushioning member. Since the operation is performed slowly, it is possible to reliably prevent accidents where the worker's hands are pinched between the housing and the cover and injured, which results in an electronic device with excellent operability and high safety. A photographic recording device can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a cover opening / closing mechanism of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view and a side view of an essential part showing a cover opening / closing mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the operation of the cover opening / closing mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the operation of the cover opening / closing mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a schematic structure of a conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cover opening / closing mechanism in a conventional electrophotographic recording apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a problem of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 cover 13b sun gear 14 base 15 first arm 15a hole 16 first gear 18 wave washer 19 second arm 19a rotation fulcrum 20 oil damper 21 second gear

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Internal reference number FI Technical indication location G12B 9/04 6947-2F (72) Inventor Osamu Teramura 1-7-12 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cover opening / closing mechanism for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, which opens and closes by rotating a cover rotatably mounted on an upper surface of a substantially box-shaped housing with one end as a fulcrum, wherein the cover is rotated. A sun gear that rotates integrally with the cover around the pivot fulcrum when the cover is opened and closed is formed at the fulcrum-side end, and revolves around the pivot fulcrum when the cover is opened and closed while meshing with this sun gear. A first gear provided on the inner surface of the cover so as to be rotatable around the rotation fulcrum.
A second rotatably mounted on the lower end of the arm of the first arm and rotatably between the fulcrum of the first arm and the mounting position of the first planetary gear.
This arm is attached to the first arm and
A second planetary gear that meshes with the first gear and rotates, and a cushioning member that applies a load to the rotation of the first planetary gear through the second planetary gear are attached to the lower end of the arm of A cover opening / closing mechanism for an electrophotographic recording apparatus, wherein a load is exerted by the buffer member against the self-weight of the cover when the cover is rotated, so that the rotating motion of the cover becomes slow.