Image forming device

Abstract

To simplify operability at the time of opening a cover in two steps.SOLUTION: An image forming device comprises: a pathway switching mechanism 150A, arranged at one side in a rotation axis direction of a cover 10, which is switched between a first state where the cover 10 can be turned between a closing position and a first angle and a second state where the cover 10 can be turned between the first angle and a second angle; a pathway switching mechanism 150B, arranged at the other side in the rotation axis direction of the cover 10, which is switched between a third state where the cover 10 can be turned between the closing position and the first angle and a fourth state where the cover 10 can be turned between the first angle and the second angle; an interlocking part 33 that makes operation by which the pathway switching mechanism 150A is switched from the first state to the second state interlock with operation by which the pathway switching mechanism 150B is switched from the third state to the fourth state; and a gripping part 25cA that switches the pathway switching mechanism 150A between the first state and the second state and switches the pathway switching mechanism 150B between the third state and the fourth state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral including an electrophotographic fax machine, printer, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in image forming apparatuses, a sheet jam (hereinafter, referred to as "jam") may occur in a sheet conveying path, so a configuration is adopted in which the conveying path is covered with an openable cover. The cover is opened and closed not only to remove the sheet that caused the jam, but also when removing or replacing parts or units such as an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing unit, and a conveying roller that are arranged in the conveying path. Here, a configuration has been proposed in which the opening angle of the cover is set to two levels, a small angle and a large angle (see Patent Document 1). For example, since a small opening angle is sufficient when clearing a jam, the processing space required for jam clearing can be reduced by opening the cover at a small angle. In addition, convenience when clearing parts can be ensured by switching the opening angle to a large angle.

[0003] In this configuration, a two-action method is proposed as a means for switching the opening angle of the cover, in which the cover is lifted up to the point where the opening angle is switched and held in that state, and a member supporting the cover is operated to switch the opening angle. Specifically, a guide groove that guides the guide shaft at the tip of the support arm that is swingably provided on the housing is formed in the cover, and this guide groove is provided with a small angle path and a large angle path, and one branch point. This makes it possible to switch from a small angle to a large angle by lifting the support arm and switching the guide shaft from the small angle path to the large angle path. According to this configuration, since the user holds the support arm when switching the opening angle, the cover does not gain momentum and unintentionally open from a small angle to a large angle, and damage to parts due to impact can be prevented. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-21135 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when opening the cover from a small angle to a large angle, it is necessary to guide the guide shaft from the small angle path to the large angle path while lifting the support arm. The support arm of the cover is subjected to a large load because it receives the weight of the cover due to its configuration, and this is more noticeable in A3 machines and high-speed machines as the cover becomes larger and more multifunctional. When restricting the opening angle of a large and heavy cover, it is desirable to provide support arms at both ends of the rotation axis direction of the cover's rotation shaft to support the cover and restrict its rotation. In addition, when the cover moves from a small angle to a large angle, the support arms provided at two locations must be operated simultaneously. If the two support arms cannot be operated simultaneously for some reason, a situation may occur in which the support levers at both ends are located on different paths. In this case, there is a risk of deformation and damage due to twisting or distortion on the cover side, or the support lever's lifespan may be shortened or it may break down early due to the load being concentrated on one side of the support lever. For these reasons, in the image forming device described in Patent Document 1, only operators with specialized skills can operate both ends (two locations) of the cover simultaneously to move to the second stage, so there was a need to simplify the operability so that even general users could operate it.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of simplifying the operability when opening a cover in two stages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention includes a housing; a cover that is provided to be opened and closed by rotating with respect to the housing and that can be displaced between a first open position inclined at a first angle with respect to a closed position in which the housing is closed and a second open position inclined at a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to the closed position; a first rotation switching unit that is arranged on one side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches between a first state that allows the cover to be rotated between the closed position and the first angle and a second state that allows the cover to be rotated at least between the first angle and the second angle; and a second rotation switching unit that is arranged on the other side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches between a first state that allows the cover to be rotated between the closed position and the first angle and a second state that allows the cover to be rotated at least between the first angle and the second angle. the cover is rotatable between the first and second angles; a second rotation switching unit that switches between a third state that enables the bar to rotate between the closed position and the first angle and a fourth state that enables the cover to rotate at least between the first angle and the second angle; a linking unit that links the operation of the first rotation switching unit to switch from the first state to the second state and the operation of the second rotation switching unit to switch from the third state to the fourth state; and an operation unit that switches the first rotation switching unit between the first state and the second state and switches the second rotation switching unit between the third state and the fourth state. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, the operability when opening the cover in two stages can be simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the cover according to the first embodiment when it is located at a closed position, in which FIG. 5A is a front view of the cover and FIG. 5B is a front view of a guide portion. [Diagram 3] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the cover according to the first embodiment when it is located at a first open position, in which FIG. 5A is a front view of the cover, and FIG. 5B is a front view of a guide portion. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the cover according to the first embodiment when it is located at a second open position, in which FIG. 5A is a front view of the cover, and FIG. 5B is a front view of a guide portion. [Diagram 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in a closed position, where FIG. 5A is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and FIG. 5B is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in a first open position, where (a) is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and (b) is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the guide portion when the cover of the first embodiment is in the first open position and the grip portion is operated, where (a) is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and (b) is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 8] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in the second open position, where (a) is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and (b) is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the cover and the guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in a closed position, where FIG. 5A is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and FIG. 5B is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 10] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the cover and the guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in a first open position, where (a) is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and (b) is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 11] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the cover and the guide portion when the cover according to the first embodiment is located in a second open position, where (a) is a diagram seen from one side of the guide portion, and (b) is a diagram seen from the other side of the guide portion. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are three-view diagrams showing a cover and a guide portion according to a second embodiment when the cover is located at a first open position, where (a) is a rear view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are three-view diagrams showing a cover and a guide portion according to a second embodiment when the cover is located at a second open position, where (a) is a rear view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a cover according to a second embodiment when it is located at a closed position, in which FIG. 13A is a front view of the cover, and FIG. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a cover according to a second embodiment when it is located at a first open position, in which (a) is a front view of the cover, and (b) is a front view of a guide portion. [Figure 16] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the guide portion when the cover according to the second embodiment is located at the first open position and the grip portion is operated, in which (a) is a front view of the cover and (b) is a front view of the guide portion. [Figure 17] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the cover according to the second embodiment when it is located at a second open position, in which (a) is a front view of the cover and (b) is a front view of a guide portion. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of the cover according to the second embodiment when returning from the second open position to the first open position, in which (a) is a front view of the cover and (b) is a front view of a guide portion. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of the cover according to the second embodiment when returning from the first open position to the closed position, in which (a) is a front view of the cover and (b) is a front view of a guide portion. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a configuration related to opening and closing of a cover according to a third embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a link configuration of a switch according to a third embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a front view of the cover according to the third embodiment when it is located at the closed position. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a front view of a cover according to a third embodiment when it is located at a first open position. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a front view of the internal configuration when the cover according to the third embodiment is located at the first open position. [Diagram 25] FIG. 13 is a front view of the cover according to the third embodiment when it is located at the second open position. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the transition of the cover according to the third embodiment from the second open position to the closed position. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration for preventing erroneous operation of a cover according to a third embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the transition of the cover according to the third embodiment from the first open position to the second open position. [Figure 29]13A and 13B are diagrams showing a cover according to a fourth embodiment, in which (a) is a front view when a fixing member is in a first state, and (b) is a front view when the fixing member is in a second state. [Diagram 30] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a cover according to a fourth embodiment, in which (a) is a front view when the fixing member has been restored from the second state to the first state, and (b) is a front view when the fixing member has escaped from the first state. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a front view of a cover according to a modified example of the fourth embodiment, when a fixing member is in a first state. [Diagram 32] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a cover according to a fifth embodiment, in which (a) is a front view when the fixed member is restored to the first state from the second state, and (b) is a front view when the movable member of the fixed member has rotated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <First embodiment> A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 11. In this embodiment, a tandem-type full-color printer is described as an example of an image forming apparatus 1. However, the present invention is not limited to the tandem-type image forming apparatus 1, but may be applied to other types of image forming apparatuses, and is not limited to full-color, but may also be applied to monochrome, monocolor, or inkjet printers.

[0011] [Image forming equipment] First, the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a color image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic system. This image forming apparatus 1 is an intermediate transfer tandem type image forming apparatus in which image forming units of four colors, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (Bk), are arranged side by side on an intermediate transfer belt 2. In Fig. 1, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the front-rear direction of the apparatus.

[0012] The image forming apparatus 1 includes a housing 1a and process cartridges Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd for forming toner images housed in the housing 1a. These process cartridges Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd use toners of different colors, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, but have the same configuration except for the toner colors. Therefore, the process cartridge Pa that uses yellow toner will be described here as a representative.

[0013] In FIG. 1, the surface of the photoconductor 6, which is driven to rotate clockwise, is exposed and scanned by the exposure device 7, which is driven based on a signal of image information, to form an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image in the process cartridges Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd. Then, a predetermined pressure force and a primary transfer bias are applied by the primary transfer device T1, and a toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 2. A primary transfer bias roller 5 and a transfer cleaning device 4 are in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 2. The intermediate transfer belt 2 is stretched by a secondary transfer inner roller 9, which also serves to transmit drive force to the intermediate transfer belt 2, a tension roller 3, and a secondary transfer upstream roller 8, and is an endless belt that is driven and transported counterclockwise in the figure.

[0014] The primary transfer bias roller 5 forms a primary transfer nip by sandwiching the intermediate transfer belt 2 between itself and the photoconductor 6. The image creation process is performed at a timing when the intermediate transfer belt 2 passes through the primary transfer nip in sequence as it is driven to be transported, and the images are superimposed on the toner images of the upstream colors that have been primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 2. Four-color toner images are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 2, and are transported to the secondary transfer section T2.

[0015] Sheets S (recording media) stacked and stored in a sheet cassette 11 are fed one by one by a feed roller 12, and after skew correction by a registration roller 13, are sent to a secondary transfer section T2 at an appropriate timing. In the secondary transfer section T2, a nip is formed by sandwiching the intermediate transfer belt 2 between an inner secondary transfer roller 9 and an outer secondary transfer roller 14, and the four-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 2 is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S. After the secondary transfer, the sheet S is conveyed to a fixing device 15, where the toner image on the sheet S is fixed, and the sheet S is discharged outside the machine by a pair of discharge rollers 16 and sequentially stacked on a discharge tray 17.

[0016] [Overview of the cover opening and closing mechanism] Next, the opening and closing mechanism of the cover 10 will be described. Here, an overview of the opening and closing device for setting the angle, posture, position, etc. of the cover 10 will be described. Fig. 2(a) is an explanatory diagram of the closed position state (paper passing possible state, standby state) of the opening and closing mechanism according to this embodiment, Fig. 3(a) is an explanatory diagram of the first open position (jam disposal position) of the opening and closing mechanism, and Fig. 4(a) is an explanatory diagram of the second open position (parts replacement position) of the opening and closing mechanism. Figs. 2(b), 3(b), and 4(b) show the positions of the sliding shaft 21 in the guide section 30 in the cases of Figs. 2(a), 3(a), and 4(a), respectively.

[0017] A cover 10 that can open and close the right side surface of the image forming apparatus 1 is provided on the housing 1a because a jam of the sheet S may occur in the conveying path. The cover 10 is provided with a cover rotation shaft 18, and is supported rotatably around a horizontal axis in the front-rear direction by engaging the image forming apparatus 1 with the cover rotation shaft 18. That is, in this embodiment, the cover 10 forms the right side surface of the housing 1a in the closed position, and is provided rotatably around the horizontal cover rotation shaft 18 at the bottom of the cover 10. The cover 10 is configured to determine the angle (position, attitude) by the support arm 20, and can be moved arbitrarily among three positions, a closed position, a first open position, and a second open position. The closed position is a position where the cover 10 is stored in the image forming apparatus 1, and is in a paper passing state or a standby state. The first open position is a position where an operator can clear a sheet jam or the like, and is a jam processing position. The second open position is a position where an operator can replace parts or the like, and is a part replacement position. That is, the cover 10 is capable of being opened and closed by rotating relative to the housing 1a, and is displaceable between a first open position inclined at a first angle relative to the closed position in which the housing 1a is closed, and a second open position inclined at a second angle greater than the first angle relative to the closed position.

[0018] The support arm 20 has a sliding shaft 21 provided at one end so as to connect the support arm 20 and the cover 10, and is rotatably supported at the other end by a rotating shaft 22 on the housing 1a of the image forming apparatus 1. The cover 10 is provided with a guide portion 30 for guiding the support arm 20. The guide portion 30 has two paths, a first path 31 (first region) and a second path 32 (second region). The angle (position, posture) of the support arm 20 is determined depending on where the sliding shaft 21 is located on the guide portion 30, and the angle of the cover 10 is also determined at the same time. That is, the support arm 20 is an example of a support member, and has the sliding shaft 21 provided to be swingable on the housing 1a, as a guided portion guided by the guide portion 30, and can support the cover 10 in an inclined state on the housing 1a.

[0019] [Closed position (paper can be passed through, standby state)] 2(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 31a of the first path 31, the support arm 20 becomes approximately parallel to the cover 10 in an approximately vertical direction, and the cover 10 is in a closed position stored in the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, by providing a locking mechanism (not shown) for locking the cover 10 to the image forming apparatus 1 at an appropriate position, the sliding shaft 21 is not subjected to a load from the cover 10. In the closed position, which accounts for the majority of the usage period of the image forming apparatus 1, not receiving the load of the cover 10 makes it possible to reduce the influence of deterioration of parts over time, such as creep deformation.

[0020] [First open position (jam clearance position)] As shown in Figs. 3(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 31b opposite to the closed position of the first path 31, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotating shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 31b are balanced. The cover 10 is located at the first open position by balancing the cover rotating shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 31b. The first open position requires an open space necessary for an operator to clear a sheet jam, and it is desirable to set the first angle, which is the opening angle, to, for example, 45 degrees or more and less than the angle of the second open position. In this embodiment, the first angle is set to 45 degrees. The first angle is not limited to 45 degrees or more, and can be set to, for example, 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

[0021] [2nd open position (parts replacement position)] As shown in FIG. 4(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 32a of the second path 32, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotation shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 32a are balanced. The cover 10 is located at the second open position by balancing the cover rotation shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 32a. The second open position requires an open space necessary for an operator to replace parts on the image forming apparatus 1 side and parts on the cover 10, and the second angle, which is the opening angle, is desirably set to, for example, 70 degrees or more. In this embodiment, the second angle is set to 75 degrees. The first angle is not limited to 45 degrees or more, and can be set to, for example, 60 degrees to 90 degrees, or may be set to exceed 90 degrees.

[0022] (Route switching mechanism) Next, a path switching mechanism 50 that switches between the first path 31 and the second path 32 of the guide portion 30 will be described. In this embodiment, the path switching mechanism 50 is provided at both ends of the cover 10 in the front-rear direction. However, since the configurations are similar, only one path switching mechanism 50 will be described. Also, the path switching mechanism 50 may be provided only at the front end of the cover 10, for example.

[0023] 5(a) to 8(b) are explanatory diagrams of the first path open state of the path switching mechanism 50 according to this embodiment. The second path 32 is formed so as to branch off from the side surface of the first path 31. At this branching point, a path switching member 25 that switches the paths of the first path 31 and the second path 32 is disposed. The path switching member 25 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 26 provided on the cover 10, and is rotatably engaged by an elastic engagement claw 10a provided on the cover 10. That is, the path switching mechanism 50 is an example of a rotation switching part, and is switched between a first state in which the cover 10 is rotatable between a closed position and a first angle, and a second state in which the cover 10 is rotatable at least between a first angle and a second angle.

[0024] The path switching mechanism 50 has a guide unit 30, a support arm 20, and a path switching member 25. The guide unit 30 has a first path 31 and a second path 32. The first path 31 allows the cover 10 to rotate between the closed position and a first angle by guiding the sliding shaft 21. The second path 32 allows the cover 10 to rotate between an angle greater than the first angle and a second angle by guiding the sliding shaft 21.

[0025] The path switching member 25 is an example of a restricting portion capable of restricting the movement of the sliding shaft 21, and has a first path blocking portion 25a that blocks the first path 31 and a second path blocking portion 25b that blocks the second path 32. When the first path blocking portion 25a protrudes onto the path of the guide portion 30, the first path 31 is blocked and the second path 32 is opened, and the sliding shaft 21 becomes movable along the second path 32. On the other hand, when the second path blocking portion 25b protrudes onto the path, the first path 31 is opened and the sliding shaft 21 becomes movable along the first path 31. That is, when the sliding shaft 21 is positioned on the first path 31, the path switching member 25 restricts the sliding shaft 21 from entering the second path 32 by causing the second path blocking portion 25b to protrude onto the path, and the path switching mechanism 50 becomes in the first state (see FIG. 5(a) to FIG. 6(b)). When the sliding shaft 21 is located at the end 31b of the first path 31, the first path blocking portion 25a of the path switching member 25 protrudes onto the path to connect the first path 31 and the second path 32, thereby placing the path switching mechanism 50 in the second state (see Figs. 7(a) to 8(b)). Note that the first path blocking portion 25a is an example of an abutment portion that intersects with the trajectory of the sliding shaft 21 in the first path 31 of the guide portion 30 when the path switching mechanism 50 is in the second state.

[0026] In order for the path switching member 25 to reliably switch paths, a mechanism is required to stabilize the path switching member 25 at the first path open position where the first path 31 is opened and at the second path open position where the second path 32 is opened. In this embodiment, therefore, in order to stabilize the path switching member 25 at the first path open position, an engagement claw 27 is provided on the path switching member 25, and the engagement claw 27 is engaged with an engagement portion 28 of the cover 10 when the path switching member 25 is at the first path open position. The engagement portion 28 is formed to protrude from the inner surface of the cover 10. That is, the engagement portion 28 is an example of a holding portion that holds the path switching member 25 so that the path switching mechanism 50 is maintained in the first state. In addition, the path switching member 25 is released from the holding by the engagement portion 28 by operating the grip portion 25c. As the engagement claw 27 in this embodiment, an elastically deformable claw member is adopted in consideration of cost, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which a member separate from the path switching member 25 is provided and slid by an elastic spring material as long as it has repeatability may be adopted. Similarly, in order to stabilize the path switching member 25 in the second path opening position, the engagement claw 27 engages with the engagement portion 29 of the cover 10 when the path switching member 25 is in the second path opening position (see FIG. 7(b)).

[0027] The path switching member 25 is provided with a grip 25c that is used by the operator when performing a path switching operation. That is, the grip 25c is an example of an operation unit that switches the path switching mechanism 50 between the first state and the second state. When switching the cover 10 from the first open position to the second open position, the operator operates the grip 25c to open the second path 32 and guides the path switching member 25 to the second path open position. This causes the engagement claw 27 to engage with the engagement portion 28 of the cover 10, thereby completing the switching operation. The grip 25c is exposed from the inner wall of the cover 10 toward the inside, and is provided at a portion other than the portion that becomes the outer wall of the housing 1a when the cover 10 is in the closed position. This makes it possible to prevent the user from unintentionally operating the grip 25c when the cover 10 is closed.

[0028] On the other hand, when opening the first path 31, the operator rotates the cover 10 to the closed position without operating the gripping portion 25c. As a result, the sliding shaft 21 comes into contact with the first path closing portion 25a and pushes the path switching member 25 to guide it to the first path opening position, and the engagement claw 27 engages with the engagement portion 28 of the cover 10, completing the switching. By employing the above-described configuration, a switching mechanism for switching the path of the sliding shaft 21 can be realized.

[0029] (Cover opening and closing operation) The operation of the mechanism and the operation of the mechanism when the operator switches the opening / closing angle of the cover 10 will be described. Figures 9(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the opening / closing mechanism and the path switching mechanism 50 in the closed position state according to this embodiment. Figures 10(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the opening / closing mechanism and the path switching mechanism 50 in the first open position. Figures 11(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the opening / closing mechanism and the path switching mechanism 50 in the second open position.

[0030] [From closed position to first open position] To open the cover 10 from the closed position (storage position) to the first open position (jam clearing position), if a locking mechanism for locking the cover 10 to the image forming apparatus 1 is provided, the lock can be released. When the opening operation starts, the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 slides on the first path 31 from the end 31a to the end 31b. At this time, the path switching member 25 is in the first path open position and blocks the second path 32, so the sliding shaft 21 is guided by the sliding shaft 21 to reach the end 31b, and the support arm 20 and the cover 10 come to rest in a balanced state. This completes the opening operation to the first open position (jam clearing position).

[0031] [From the first open position to the closed position] To close the cover 10 from the first open position (jam removal position) to the closed position (storage position), the operator manually pushes the cover 10 toward the housing 1a of the image forming apparatus 1. This causes the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 to slide on the first path 31 from the end 31b toward the end 31a, and the locking mechanism is locked to the image forming apparatus 1, completing the operation.

[0032] [From first open position to second open position] When the cover 10 is opened from the first open position (jam removal position) to the second open position (part replacement position), the path switching member 25 is first moved to the second path open position. The operator operates the gripping portion 25c to move it to the second path open position, and engages the engagement claw 27 from the engagement portion 28 of the cover 10 to the engagement portion 29. This closes the first path 31, and opens the second path 32 instead. At this time, the cover 10 and the support arm 20 are still in a balanced state and remain stationary at the first open position. At this time, the operator lifts the cover 10 slightly to separate the sliding shaft 21 from the end portion 31b, thereby releasing the balanced state, and the sliding shaft 21 is guided to the second path 32.

[0033] Here, the cover 10 is not opened to the second open position (parts replacement position) immediately after switching the path switching member 25, but maintains the balanced state. In other words, the path switching member 25 is arranged so that it only blocks the second path 32, and the end 31b provided on the first path 31 receives the load of the cover 10. In other words, the end 31b is an example of a receiving part that receives the load of the cover 10 acting on the sliding shaft 21 when the path switching mechanism 50 is in the first state and the cover 10 is located at the first open position. As a result, the operating force when operating the path switching member 25 is only the load generated when the engaging claw 27 is engaged from the engaging part 29 to the engaging part 28 of the cover 10. In this way, the operating force applied by the operator can be reduced, and the product life can be extended. The sliding shaft 21 guided on the second path 32 reaches the end 32a, and stops in a balanced state between the support arm 20 and the cover 10. This completes the opening operation to the second open position (parts replacement position).

[0034] [From the second open position to the closed position] When closing the cover 10 from the second open position (parts replacement position) to the closed position (storage position), the operator manually pushes the cover 10 toward the housing 1a of the image forming apparatus 1. This causes the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 to slide on the second path 32 and the first path 31 from the end 32a to the end 31a, and the locking mechanism is locked to the image forming apparatus 1, completing the operation. At this time, the first path 31 is blocked by the path switching member 25, but the sliding shaft 21 contacts the first path blocking portion 25a and guides the path switching member 25 to the first path open position so as to push it. Then, the engagement claw 27 is engaged with the engagement portion 28 from the engagement portion 29 of the cover 10, completing the switching. That is, when the sliding shaft 21 is positioned in the second path 32, as the cover 10 rotates toward the closed position, the sliding shaft 21 abuts against and presses the first path blocking portion 25a, thereby switching the path switching mechanism 50 from the second state to the first state.

[0035] This allows the operation from the closed position (storage position) to the first open position (jam processing position) to start again. In this way, when closing the cover 10 from the second open position to the closed position, the path switching member 25 is set to return to the first path open position in conjunction with the operation of the cover 10 without the operator operating the grip portion 25c. That is, the path switching mechanism 50 is switched from the first state to the second state by operating the grip portion 25c, while it is switched from the second state to the first state by rotating the cover 10 from the second angle to the closed position. This reduces the possibility that the operator will make an operation error, such as forgetting to operate.

[0036] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has the gripper 25c that switches the path switching mechanism 50 between the first state and the second state. Therefore, the cover 10 can be opened widely from the first angle to the second angle by operating the gripper 25c, so that the operability when opening the cover 10 in two stages can be simplified. That is, the path switching operation for opening the cover 10 from the first stage to the second stage is achieved only by switching the gripper 25c, so that the "intermediate work" of operating the support arm to switch the path while receiving the load of the cover 10 is not required. This simplifies the operation for opening the cover to the second stage, and even a non-specialized operator can perform the switching operation.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the cover 10 is provided on the right side of the housing 1a, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cover 10 may be provided on the left side of the housing 1a or may be a front cover. In addition, in the present embodiment, the cover rotation shaft 18 supporting the cover 10 is horizontal, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cover rotation shaft may be vertical.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the cover 10 is configured to open in two stages, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured to open in three or more stages. In this case, a guide path or a path switching member is provided for each stage.

[0039] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the cover 10 is described as a cover for an image forming device 1 having an image forming unit, but this is not limited to this, and the image forming device may also include post-processing devices such as a finisher, and the cover may be applied to the housing of the post-processing device.

[0040] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 12 to Fig. 19. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the path switching mechanisms 150 arranged at the front and rear ends of the cover 10 are interlocked. However, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description is omitted.

[0041] In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the path switching mechanisms 150A and 150B are disposed at the front and rear ends of the cover 10. The path switching mechanism 150A is an example of a first rotation switching unit, and is disposed on one side (rear side) of the cover 10 in the rotation axis direction. The path switching mechanism 150A switches between a first state in which the cover 10 is rotatable between a closed position and a first angle, and a second state in which the cover 10 is rotatable at least between a first angle and a second angle. The path switching mechanism 150B is an example of a second rotation switching unit, and is disposed on the other side (front side) of the cover 10 in the rotation axis direction. The path switching mechanism 150B switches between a third state in which the cover 10 is rotatable between a closed position and a first angle, and a fourth state in which the cover 10 is rotatable at least between a first angle and a second angle. The configuration of the interlocking unit 33 that interlocks the path switching mechanisms 150A and 150B will be described later. The path switching mechanisms 150A and 150B have symmetrical shapes, but are otherwise similar in configuration. Therefore, one of the path switching mechanisms 150 will be described below with reference to Figures 14(a) to 19(b).

[0042] [Overview of the cover opening and closing mechanism] Fig. 14(a) is an explanatory diagram of the open / close mechanism in the closed position (paper passing possible state, standby state) according to this embodiment, Fig. 15(a) is an explanatory diagram of the open / close mechanism in the first open position (jam removal position), and Fig. 17(a) is an explanatory diagram of the open / close mechanism in the second open position (parts replacement position). Fig. 14(b), Fig. 15(b), and Fig. 17(b) show the positions of the sliding shaft 21 in the guide portion 30 in the cases of Fig. 14(a), Fig. 15(a), and Fig. 17(a), respectively.

[0043] [Closed position (paper can be passed through, standby state)] As shown in Figures 14(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is positioned at the end 131a of the first path 131, the support arm 20 becomes approximately parallel to the cover 10 in an approximately vertical direction, and the cover 10 becomes in a closed position in which it is stored in the image forming device 1.

[0044] [First open position (jam clearance position)] 15(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 131b opposite the closed position of the first path 131, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotation shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 131b are balanced. The cover 10 is located at the first open position by being balanced between the cover rotation shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 131b.

[0045] [2nd open position (parts replacement position)] 17(a) and (b), when the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 132a of the second path 132, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotation shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 132a are balanced. The cover 10 is in the second open position by being balanced between the cover rotation shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 132a.

[0046] (Operation of the route switching mechanism) The operation of the guide unit 130 when the cover 10 is moved from the first open position to the second open position will be described. In order to move the cover 10 from the first open position to the second open position, it is necessary to move the sliding shaft 21 from the first path 131 to the second path 132. The operation of moving the sliding shaft 21 from the first path 131 to the second path 132 from the closed position shown in Figs. 14(a) and (b) and shifting the cover 10 from the first open position to the second open position will be described. In a state in which the sliding shaft 21 is at the position of the end portion 131b, the operator moves the path switching member 125 from the position 125a to the position 125b shown in Fig. 16 to open the second path 132. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 17(a), the cover 10 is lightly closed to drop the sliding shaft 21 into the second path 132, and the cover 10 is opened again in that state, so that the cover 10 can be opened to the second open position.

[0047] (Operation of the path switching member when the cover is opened) FIG. 12 is a three-sided view for explaining the interlocking of the path switching mechanisms 150A and 150B provided at both ends in the direction of the rotational axis of the cover 10. In recent image forming apparatuses 1, the cover 10 tends to become larger and heavier due to larger compatible sheet sizes, faster speeds due to increased productivity, and more functions. In this embodiment, in order to regulate the opening angle of the larger and heavier cover 10, the cover 10 has support arms 20 at both ends in the direction of the rotational axis. In addition, guide parts 130A and 130B and path switching members 125A and 125B are provided corresponding to the two support arms 20. When the sliding shafts 21A and 21B of the two support arms 20 are on different paths, deformation or damage due to twisting or distortion on the cover side, or damage to the support arm 20 due to concentration of load on one side of the support arm 20 is assumed. In some cases, the cover itself may fall off the housing 1a, causing damage to the cover. In order to prevent this, it is desirable that the two path switching members 125A and 125B be switched in position in cooperation with each other.

[0048] Using FIG. 12, the interlocking of the operations of the path switching members 125A and 125B using the interlocking unit 33 will be described. The interlocking unit 33 interlocks the operation of the path switching member 125A switching from the first state to the second state with the operation of the path switching member 125B switching from the third state to the fourth state. In this embodiment, the path switching members 125A and 125B are mechanically connected by the interlocking unit 33, so that when the path switching member 125A moves in position, the path switching member 125B is reliably interlocked and moved in position. In addition, a first gripping unit 25cA is provided as a first operating unit, which is disposed on one side (rear side) of the cover 10 in the rotation axis direction, similar to the gripping unit 25c in the first embodiment, and switches the path switching member 125A between the first state and the second state. Similarly, a second gripping part 25cB is provided as a second operating part, which is disposed on the other side (front side) of the cover 10 in the rotation axis direction and switches the path switching member 125B between the third state and the fourth state. In this case, by operating the first gripping part 25cA or the second gripping part 25cB, the path switching member 125A can be switched between the first state and the second state, and the path switching member 125B can be switched between the third state and the fourth state.

[0049] The interlocking portion 33 has a first link 34 and a second link 35 rotatably connected to each other. The first link 34 has a first connecting portion 34b interlocked with the path switching member 125A, a second connecting portion 34c rotatably connected to the second link 35, and a first pivotal support portion 34a rotatably supported on the cover 10 between the first connecting portion 34b and the second connecting portion 34c. The second link 35 has a third connecting portion 35b interlocked with the path switching member 125B, a fourth connecting portion 35c rotatably connected to the first link 34, and a second pivotal support portion 35a rotatably supported on the cover 10 between the third connecting portion 35b and the fourth connecting portion 35c. The second connecting portion 34c of the first link 34 and the fourth connecting portion 35c of the second link 35 are rotatably connected to each other.

[0050] Furthermore, in guide portion 130A, end portion 131bA is an example of a first receiving portion, and receives the load of cover 10 acting on sliding shaft 21A, which is the first guided portion, when path switching member 125A is in the first state and cover 10 is located at the first open position. Also, in guide portion 130B, end portion 131bB is an example of a second receiving portion, and receives the load of cover 10 acting on sliding shaft 21B, which is the second guided portion, when path switching member 125B is in the third state and cover 10 is located at the first open position.

[0051] 12, when the route switching member 125A is located at position 125a (see FIG. 16), the route switching member 125B is also located at position 125a via the interlocking unit 33. As shown in FIG 13, when the route switching member 125A is located at position 125b (see FIG. 16), the route switching member 125B is also located at position 125b via the interlocking unit 33. In this way, it is possible to reliably switch the position of the route switching member 125B in conjunction with the switching of the position of the route switching member 125A.

[0052] (Operation of the path switching member during the cover closing operation (from the second open position to the first open position / closed position)) 18 and 19, the closing operation of the cover 10 from the second open position to the first open position and the closed position will be described. FIG. 18(b) shows a state in which the cover 10 is closed from the second open position and the sliding shaft 21 has returned from the second path 132 to the end 131b of the first path 131. FIG. 19 shows a state in which the closing operation has progressed further. When the sliding shaft 21 moves in the first path 131 toward the end 131a of the first path 131, depending on the angle of the cover 10, the path switching member 25 can be moved from the position 125b to the position 125a. Therefore, when the cover 10 is closed from the second open position to the closed position, the operator can return the path switching member 25 to the position 125a simply by closing the cover 10.

[0053] As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the opening / closing angle switching operation of the cover 10 can be performed by moving the position of the path switching member 125B in conjunction with the position movement of the path switching member 125A, which can further simplify the operation. Therefore, switching operation can be performed not only by a specialized operator but also by a non-specialized user, and it is possible for the user to replace regularly replaced parts.

[0054] In this embodiment, the interlocking unit 33 is described as being a link mechanism having two links, but is not limited thereto. That is, as long as the path-switching members 125A and 125B are interlocked, a configuration using gears, for example, may be used. The interlocking unit 33 of this embodiment may also be applied to the first embodiment. In this case, for example, the operations of the path-switching members 25 provided at both ends of the cover 10 may be interlocked.

[0055] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 20 to Fig. 28. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the switch, which is the operation unit, can be locked to prevent erroneous operation. However, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description is omitted.

[0056] (Configuration related to opening and closing the cover) FIG. 20 shows the configuration related to opening and closing of the cover 10. The cover 10 has an opening-shaped guide portion 230, a switch 225, a cover rotation shaft 18, and a support arm 20. The support arm 20 has a sliding shaft 21 and a rotating shaft 22. The image forming apparatus 1 is configured so that the guide portion 230 and the sliding shaft 21, the cover rotation shaft 18, and the rotating shaft 22 engage with each other. The switch 225 is slidably attached to the switch guide 10c, and is connected to the lock portion 224 through a link 226 as shown in FIG. 21, and the link 226 is rotatably engaged with the switch 225 and the lock portion 224, respectively. The lock portion 224 is rotatably engaged with the cover 10 at the lock portion rotating shaft 10d. The cover 10 rotates around the cover rotation shaft 18, and its posture is determined by the sliding shaft 21 and the guide portion 230.

[0057] (Transition from closed position to first position) FIG. 22 shows the details of the closed position of the cover 10. When the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 231a of the first path 231, the support arm 20 is approximately parallel to the cover 10, and the cover 10 is in the closed position where it is stored in the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, by providing a locking mechanism for locking the cover 10 to the image forming apparatus 1 at an arbitrary position, the sliding shaft 21 is prevented from receiving a load from the cover 10. When the cover 10 in the closed position is opened, the sliding shaft 21 is guided to the first path 231 of the guide portion 230, moves from the end 231a to the end 231b, and moves to the first open position shown in FIG. 23. When the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 231b of the first path 231, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotation shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 231b are balanced. The cover 10 is in the first open position by balancing between the cover rotation shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 231b.

[0058] (Transition from the first open position to the second open position) As shown in FIG. 23, when the cover 10 is in the first open position, the sliding shaft 21 is restricted by the locking portion 224 at the branching portion 230a of the guide portion 230, and is not guided to the second path 232. When the switch 225 is operated in the direction of the arrow D1 from this state, the switch claw portion 225a is engaged with the protrusion portion 10b of the cover 10, as shown in FIG. 24, and the cover 10 is held in a retained state. In addition, a rotation moment in the direction D3 is generated in the locking portion 224 from the locking portion rotation shaft 10d via the link 226 by operating the switch 225, and the locking portion 224 moves to a position where the sliding shaft 21 is not restricted. The first spring 27 is a compression coil spring, and is preferably provided to always bias the switch 225 in the direction D2 to ensure the restricted state of the locking portion 224. As a means other than a spring, the switch 225 and the cover 10 may be elastically engaged with each other.

[0059] The second spring 28 is provided for the purpose of assisting the operation of the switch 225, and is preferably provided because a rotational moment in the direction D3 is generated in the lock portion 224, which applies a force in the direction D1 to the switch 225 via the link 226, thereby reducing the force required for operation. At this time, as shown in Fig. 28, the cover 10 and the support arm 20 are in a balanced state and remain stationary in the first open position. By lifting the cover 10 slightly and moving the sliding shaft 21 away from the end portion 231b, the balanced state is released, and the sliding shaft 21 is guided to the second path 232.

[0060] Here, the cover 10 is not guided to the second path 232 immediately after switching the locking portion 224, and maintains a balanced state. In other words, the locking portion 224 is disposed so that it only blocks the second path 232, and the load of the cover 10 is received by the end portion 231b provided on the first path 231. As a result, the operating force when operating the locking portion 224 is limited to the load generated when the switch claw portion 225a is engaged with the protrusion portion 10b of the cover 10. This makes it possible to reduce the operating force required by the user.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 25, the sliding shaft 21 guided to the second path 232 reaches the end 232a and stops in a state where the support arm 20 and the cover 10 are balanced. This completes the transition to the second open position. When the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 is located at the end 232a of the second guide section, the support arm 20 is in a state where it is balanced between the rotating shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 232a. The cover 10 is in a state of being in the second open position by being balanced between the cover rotating shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 232a.

[0062] (Transition from the first and second open positions to the closed position) When the user closes the cover 10 from the first open position shown in FIG. 23, the sliding shaft 21 is guided by the guide portion 230, moves to the end portion 231a, and moves to the closed position. When the user closes the cover 10 from the second open position shown in FIG. 25 in the same manner, the sliding shaft 21 is guided by the guide portion 230, passes through the branch portion 230a, and then hits the lock portion 224. When the cover 10 is further closed from this state, a rotation moment in the D4 direction is generated in the lock portion 224 as shown in FIG. 26, and the switch 225 and the link 226 also return to their initial positions in conjunction with each other, and the sliding shaft 21 is guided by the guide portion 230 to the end portion 231a and moves to the closed position. In this way, the cover 10 can be moved to the closed position simply by closing it, eliminating the need for the user to operate the switch 225 before closing it.

[0063] (Configuration of measures to prevent erroneous operation in the second open position) In this embodiment, when the switch 225 is operated in the D2 direction and then returned to its original position when the cover 10 is in the second open position shown in Fig. 25, a rotation moment in the D3 direction is generated as shown in Fig. 26, and the lock part 224 does not return to its initial position. If the switch 225 were to return to its initial position, the state shown in Fig. 27 would result. That is, the lock part 224 would be positioned as a wall in the middle of the guide part 230. In this case, if the user closes the cover 10 without operating the switch again, the sliding shaft 21 and the lock part 224 would collide with each other, which may result in damage, and therefore, this configuration is designed to prevent such a state.

[0064] As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the cover 10 can be switched from the first open position to the second open position by operating a switch. If the user operates the switch at an unintended timing, the switch 225 will not return and the cover 10 is moved to the closed position only by the action of closing the cover 10, allowing intuitive and safe operation.

[0065] <Fourth embodiment> Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 29 to Fig. 31. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the fixing member 40 has a function of escaping from the first state. However, other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description is omitted.

[0066] (Configuration related to opening and closing the cover) The support arm 20 has a sliding shaft 21 for connecting the support arm 20 to the cover 10, and a rotating shaft 22 for connecting the support arm 20 to the image forming device 1. The cover 10 is provided with a guide portion 330 for guiding the support arm 20, and the angle (position, posture) of the support arm 20 is determined depending on where the sliding shaft 21 is located in the guide portion 330, which also determines the opening angle of the cover 10.

[0067] FIG. 29(a) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body, showing the cover 10 opened to the first angle. As shown in FIG. 29(a), a fixing member 40 is provided to hold the cover 10 at the first angle. The fixing member 40 is provided on the cover 10, and is configured to abut the sliding shaft 21 guided by the guide portion 330 at the support surface 43, and to hold the sliding shaft 21 at the position shown in FIG. 29(a). The fixing member 40 is supported by the cover 10 so as to be rotatable about the fixing member rotation shaft 41 as the rotation center from the state shown in FIG. 29(a) (first state), and is held not to rotate in the counterclockwise direction by a rotation locking portion (not shown). According to this, the support arm 20 is balanced between the rotation shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 abutting against the support surface 43, and the cover 10 is also held at the first angle by balancing between the cover rotation shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 abutting against the support surface 43.

[0068] Fig. 29(b) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body, showing a state in which the fixing member 40 has been moved and the cover 10 has been set at a second angle from the first angle. When the sliding shaft 21 of the support arm 20 has moved to the end of the guide section 330 shown in Fig. 29(b), the support arm 20 is in a state in which the rotating shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 are balanced. The cover 10 is held at the second angle by the cover rotating shaft 18 being balanced by the sliding shaft 21 located at the end of the guide section 330. The state of the fixing member 40 in Fig. 29(b) is set to the second state.

[0069] In order to open the cover 10 from the first angle to the second angle, that is, to move the sliding shaft 21, the operator only needs to move a rotation locking portion (rotation lock) (not shown) of the fixed member 40. At this time, the rotation locking portion may be movably supported on the cover 10, or may be configured to be removable from the cover 10. By moving the rotation locking portion as described above, the fixed member 40 becomes rotatable counterclockwise, and the sliding shaft 21 moves through the guide portion 330 with the rotation of the fixed member 40 to a position where the cover 10 is held at the second angle. Then, in this embodiment, the fixed member 40 is automatically restored to the first state shown in FIG. 29(a) after the sliding shaft 21 passes over the fixed member 40 toward the end of the guide portion 330 shown in FIG. 29(b).

[0070] (Closing from second position) Fig. 30(a) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body showing the movement of the sliding shaft 21 when the cover 10 is closed from the second angle to the first angle, and Fig. 30(b) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body showing the movement of the sliding shaft 21 and the fixed member 40 when the cover 10 is closed from the second angle to the first angle. In reality, when the sliding shaft 21 moves, it moves in conjunction with the movement of the cover 10 closing from the second angle to the first angle, so that the angle becomes closer to the image forming apparatus 1 main body side than the opening angle of the cover 10 shown in Fig. 30(a). However, since the movement of the sliding shaft 21 and the fixed member 40 is important in this embodiment, the operation of the cover 10 is omitted below.

[0071] In this embodiment, the fixed member 40 is automatically restored to the state shown in Fig. 29(a) after the sliding shaft 21 passes over the fixed member 40 toward the end of the guide portion 330 shown in Fig. 29(b). In this case, in a typical conventional configuration, as shown in Fig. 30(a), the sliding shaft 21 comes into contact with the non-support surface 44 of the fixed member 40, and the fixed member 40 does not move, so that the sliding shaft 21 is blocked at that position. If the cover 10 is forcibly closed from this state, there is a risk that the fixed member 40, the support arm 20, or the cover 10 may be deformed or damaged.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 30(b), the fixed member 40 is supported so as to be rotatable further in the clockwise direction from the state of FIG. 30(a). As a result, when the sliding shaft 21 moves from the state of FIG. 30(a) toward the side where the cover 10 is closed, the sliding shaft 21 abuts against the non-support surface 44 and the fixed member 40 rotates in the clockwise direction in conjunction with the sliding shaft 21. In other words, since the movement of the sliding shaft 21 is not restricted by the fixed member 40, problems such as deformation and damage can be suppressed even when the cover 10 is closed from the state of FIG. 30(a). In addition, as shown in FIG. 30(b), the fixed member 40 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the sliding shaft 21 moves to a position where the sliding shaft 21 and the non-support surface 44 are separated. Thereafter, the fixed member 40 is automatically rotated in the counterclockwise direction relative to the cover 10 to the first state of FIG. 30(a) by an elastic member (e.g., a spring) not shown. This eliminates the need for the user to return fixing member 40 to the first state of FIG. 30(a), and the next time cover 10 is opened from the closed state, it can be held at the first angle without fail.

[0073] As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the fixed member 40 in the second state is automatically displaced to the first state, so that the user only needs to close the cover 10, thereby improving operability.

[0074] In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the guide portion 330 is linear, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 31, the first path 331 and the second path 332 may have a step as in the first to third embodiments. In this case, when the sliding shaft 21 is located at the end 331a of the first path 331, the support arm 20 is in a state where the rotating shaft 22 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 331a balance each other. The cover 10 is held at the first angle by the cover rotating shaft 18 and the sliding shaft 21 located at the end 331a balancing each other. In the configuration shown in FIG. 31, when the cover 10 is opened to the first angle from a state where it is closed with respect to the image forming apparatus 1, the fixing member 40 closes the connection portion between the first path 331 and the second path 332 so that the sliding shaft 21 does not enter the second path 332. That is, the guide surface 43b of the fixed member 40 guides the sliding shaft 21 to the end portion 331a. As a result, when the cover 10 is held at the first angle, the sliding shaft 21 maintains a state in which no load is applied to the fixed member 40. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to reduce the rigidity and strength of the fixed member 40, which means that a small and lightweight material can be used, thereby enabling the image forming apparatus 1 to be made smaller and lighter.

[0075] In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, the fixed member 40 is configured to automatically restore to the first state shown in FIG. 29(a) after the sliding shaft 21 moves beyond the fixed member 40 toward the end of the guide portion 330 shown in FIG. 29(b) in the second state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fixed member 40 may maintain the second state even after the sliding shaft 21 moves beyond the fixed member 40 toward the end of the guide portion 330 shown in FIG. 29(b) in the same manner as in the first to third embodiments. In this case, when the cover 10 is closed from the second angle to the first angle, the sliding shaft 21 moves inside the guide portion 330 and abuts against the return surface 42 of the fixed member 40. Furthermore, the fixed member 40 rotates in the clockwise direction in conjunction with the movement of the sliding shaft 21, thereby transitioning to the first state shown in FIG. 29(a). Then, when the user returns the rotation locking portion (not shown), the fixed member 40 will no longer rotate counterclockwise from the first state shown in FIG. 29(a), and the cover 10 can be held at the first angle. Of course, by further closing the cover 10 toward the image forming apparatus 1 from this state, the cover 10 can be completely closed. However, even with this configuration, there is a possibility that the rotation locking portion (not shown) will return to the clockwise direction due to an external force such as a worker or vibration or impact before the cover 10 is closed from the second angle to the first angle as shown in FIG. 30(a). In that case, in this embodiment, when the sliding shaft 21 moves from the state shown in FIG. 30(a) to the side where the cover 10 is closed, the non-support surface 44 is pushed by the sliding shaft 21 that it abuts, and the fixed member 40 rotates clockwise in conjunction with the sliding shaft 21, so that the cover 10 can be closed.

[0076] <Fifth embodiment> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 32. This embodiment is different from the fourth embodiment in that the tip of the fixing member rotates to escape from the first state. However, other configurations are the same as those of the fourth embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed description is omitted.

[0077] FIG. 32(a) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body, showing the movement of the sliding shaft 21 when the cover 10 in this embodiment is closed from the second angle to the first angle. FIG. 32(b) is an enlarged view seen from the front of the main body, showing the movement of the sliding shaft 21 and the fixed member 40 when the cover 10 is closed from the second angle to the first angle. As shown in FIG. 32(a), the fixed member 40 is provided with a movable member 60. The movable member 60 is supported rotatably around a rotation shaft 61 relative to the fixed member 40, and its rotation is restricted by a rotation stopper (not shown) so that it does not rotate counterclockwise relative to the fixed member 40 from the state of FIG. 32(a). As a result, when the sliding shaft 21 moves from the state of FIG. 32(a) to the side where the cover 10 is closed, the movable member 60 is pushed by the sliding shaft 21 with which it abuts, and the movable member 60 rotates clockwise in conjunction with the sliding shaft 21. In other words, since the movement of the sliding shaft 21 is not restricted by the movable member 60, the cover 10 can be closed from the state shown in FIG. 32(a).

[0078] 32(b), the movable member 60 rotates clockwise, and the sliding shaft 21 moves to a position where the sliding shaft 21 and the movable member 60 are separated. Thereafter, the movable member 60 automatically rotates counterclockwise relative to the fixed member 40 to the position in FIG. 32(a) by an elastic member (e.g., a spring) (not shown). This eliminates the need for the user to return the movable member 60 to the state in FIG. 32(a), and the next time the cover 10 is opened from the closed state, the movable member 60 can be always maintained at the first angle.

[0079] The present technology can also be configured as follows. (1) A housing and a cover that is provided so as to be openable and closable by rotating relative to the housing, and that is displaceable between a first open position inclined at a first angle with respect to a closed position in which the housing is closed, and a second open position inclined at a second angle larger than the first angle with respect to the closed position; a first rotation switching unit that is disposed on one side of the cover in a rotation axis direction and that switches between a first state that allows the cover to rotate between the closed position and the first angle and a second state that allows the cover to rotate at least between the first angle and the second angle; a second rotation switching unit that is disposed on the other side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches between a third state that allows the cover to rotate between the closed position and the first angle and a fourth state that allows the cover to rotate at least between the first angle and the second angle; an interlocking unit that interlocks an operation of the first rotation switching unit switching from the first state to the second state and an operation of the second rotation switching unit switching from the third state to the fourth state; an operation unit that switches the first rotation switching unit between the first state and the second state and switches the second rotation switching unit between the third state and the fourth state, Image forming device. (2) The interlocking portion has a first link and a second link that are rotatably connected to each other, the first link has a first connecting portion interlocked with the first rotation switching portion, a second connecting portion rotatably connected to the second link, and a first pivot portion rotatably supported on the cover between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, The second link has a third connecting portion interlocked with the second rotation switching portion, a fourth connecting portion rotatably connected to the second connecting portion of the first link, and a second pivot portion rotatably supported on the cover between the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion. The image forming apparatus according to (1) above. (3) The operation unit is a first operation unit that is disposed on the one side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and switches the first rotation switching unit between the first state and the second state. The image forming apparatus according to (1) or (2). (4) a second operating unit disposed on the other side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and configured to switch the second rotation switching unit between the third state and the fourth state; The image forming apparatus according to (3) above. (5) By operating the operation unit, the first rotation switching unit is switched from the first state to the second state, and the second rotation switching unit is switched from the third state to the fourth state, By rotating the cover from the second angle to the closed position, the first rotation switching unit switches from the second state to the first state, and the second rotation switching unit switches from the fourth state to the third state. The image forming apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3). (6) The operation unit is provided at a portion of the cover in the closed position other than a portion that becomes an outer wall of the housing. The image forming apparatus according to any one of (1) to (5). (7) the cover forms a side surface of the housing in the closed position, and is provided at a lower portion of the cover so as to be rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis. The image forming apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6). [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1...image forming apparatus, 1a...housing, 10...cover, 25c...grip (operation section), 25cA...first grip (first operation section, operation section), 25cB...second grip (second operation section, operation section), 33...interlocking section, 34...first link, 34a...first pivot support, 34b...first connecting section, 34c...second connecting section, 35...second link, 35a...second pivot support, 35b...third connecting section, 35c...fourth connecting section, 150A...path switching mechanism (first rotation switching section), 150B...path switching mechanism (second rotation switching section)

Claims

1. An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; a housing that houses the image forming unit; a cover that is provided so as to be openable and closable by rotating relative to the housing, and that is displaceable between a first open position inclined at a first angle with respect to a closed position in which the housing is closed, and a second open position inclined at a second angle with respect to the closed position that is greater than the first angle; a first rotation switching unit that is disposed on one side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches between a first state that allows the cover to rotate from the closed position to the first open position and a second state that allows the cover to rotate at least from the first open position to the second open position; a second rotation switching unit that is disposed on the other side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches between a third state in which the cover is rotatable from the closed position to the first open position and a fourth state in which the cover is rotatable at least from the first open position to the second open position; an interlocking unit that interlocks an operation of the first rotation switching unit switching from the first state to the second state with an operation of the second rotation switching unit switching from the third state to the fourth state; an operation unit that switches the first rotation switching unit between the first state and the second state and switches the second rotation switching unit between the third state and the fourth state, An image forming apparatus characterized by:

2. The interlocking portion has a first link and a second link that are rotatably connected to each other, the first link has a first connecting portion interlocked with the first rotation switching portion, a second connecting portion rotatably connected to the second link, and a first pivot support portion rotatably supported on the cover between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion, The second link has a third connecting portion interlocked with the second rotation switching portion, a fourth connecting portion rotatably connected to the second connecting portion of the first link, and a second pivot support portion rotatably supported on the cover between the third connecting portion and the fourth connecting portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The operating portion is a first operating portion arranged on the one side of the cover in the rotation axis direction.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

4. a second operating unit that is arranged on the other side of the cover in the rotation axis direction and that switches the first rotation switching unit between the first state and the second state and switches the second rotation switching unit between the third state and the fourth state, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

5. By operating the operation unit, the first rotation switching unit switches from the first state to the second state, and the second rotation switching unit switches from the third state to the fourth state, By rotating the cover from the second open position to the closed position, the first rotation switching unit switches from the second state to the first state, and the second rotation switching unit switches from the fourth state to the third state.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

6. the operation unit is provided at a portion of the cover in the closed position other than a portion that forms an outer wall of the housing; 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

7. the cover forms a side surface of the housing in the closed position, and is provided at a lower portion of the cover so as to be rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is a recording medium.

Images