Hinge device and image forming apparatus including hinge device

Abstract

To provide a hinge device that prevents a document and a user from touching grease applied to a surface of the hinge device.SOLUTION: A hinge device 10 is a device that supports a document hold-down jig 20 openably and closably with respect to an image forming apparatus body 2. The hinge device 10 comprises a static support member 11 that is provided on the image forming apparatus body 2, a rotary support member 12 that is provided on the document hold-down jig 20 and is rotatably connected to the static support member 11 with a rotation shaft 13, and a grease cleaning jig 14 that is attached to the rotary support member 12. A leading end 141 of the grease cleaning jig 14 is constantly in contact with a surface 111a of the static support member 11 when the rotary support member 12 rotates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge device and an image forming apparatus equipped with the hinge device. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming apparatuses such as printers, scanners, copiers, and multifunction machines are equipped with an automatic document feeder. The automatic document feeder is attached to the image forming apparatus body by a hinge device so as to be rotatable between a closed position in which the top surface of the image forming apparatus body is covered and an open position in which the top surface of the image forming apparatus body is opened. In a typical image forming apparatus, the top surface of the image forming apparatus serves as a document table on which a document to be read is placed. Since using the document table for copying or scanning is a major function of the image forming apparatus, it is desirable for the hinge device to be configured so that the automatic document feeder can be opened and closed stably and smoothly.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hinge mechanism for a document transport device that can always stably open and close the document transport device. The hinge mechanism in Patent Document 1 is composed of multiple hinge bodies. Each hinge body includes a leg that is inserted and supported in a support hole provided at the rear end of the image forming machine body, a stationary support frame provided at the upper end of the leg, and a swivel support frame that is rotatably connected to the stationary support frame via a swivel shaft. At least one of the multiple hinge bodies has the stationary support frame and the leg integrally formed by bending a single steel plate. This allows the document transport device to be opened and closed stably at all times. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-14496 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even with the hinge body of Patent Document 1, in order to realize smooth opening and closing of the document transport device, it is necessary to apply grease to the surface of the stationary support frame on which the swivel support frame slides. Generally, when the document transport device is opened, the surface of the stationary support frame is exposed in a position where it can be touched by the document and the user who uses the image forming device. In this case, since grease is attached to the surface of the stationary support frame, there is a problem that the document and the user touch the grease and become dirty.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a hinge device in which grease applied to the surface of the hinge device does not come into contact with documents or users, and an image forming apparatus equipped with the hinge device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a hinge device that supports an original holder in an openable and closable manner relative to an image forming apparatus main body. The hinge device of the present invention includes a stationary support member provided on the image forming apparatus main body, a rotating support member provided on the original holder and rotatably connected to the stationary support member via a rotating shaft, and a grease cleaner attached to the rotating support member. A tip of the grease cleaner is constantly in contact with a surface of the stationary support member when the rotating support member rotates.

[0008] The image forming apparatus of the present invention includes the hinge device described above. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the hinge device and the image forming apparatus including the hinge device of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the grease applied to the surface of the hinge device from coming into contact with the document and the user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]1 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus including a hinge device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion III of the hinge device in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the hinge device of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the hinge device of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0012] First, the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. In the following, the up-down direction is defined as the up-down direction when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed in a state in which it is generally used as shown in Fig. 1, and the front-rear direction is defined as the side on which a user generally stands as the front side. The direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction.

[0013] The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming an image. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a substantially box-shaped image forming apparatus main body 2, a feeding section 3, an image forming section 4, a fixing section 5, a discharge section 6, and a control section (not shown) inside the image forming apparatus main body 2.

[0014] The feeding unit 3 stores sheets S, picks up the stored sheets S, and supplies them to the image forming unit 4. The image forming unit 4 forms an image on the sheets S with toner. The fixing unit 5 fixes the toner image developed on the sheets S. The discharge unit 6 discharges the sheets S on which the images have been formed by the image forming unit 4 to the outside. The control unit controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a printer, a scanner, a copier, or a multifunction device.

[0016] Next, the hinge device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an image forming apparatus 1 equipped with the hinge device 10 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of part III of the hinge device 10 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical cross-sectional views of the hinge device 10 of Fig. 3. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the document holder 20 is closed, and Fig. 5 shows a state in which the document holder 20 is open. Note that the vertical cross-sectional view is a cross-sectional view taken along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction.

[0017] 2, in the image forming apparatus 1, the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2 serves as a document table 7 on which a document to be copied or scanned by the image forming apparatus 1 is placed. The image forming apparatus 1 is also provided with a document holder 20 that holds down the document placed on the document table 7 when copying or scanning the document.

[0018] The document holder 20 is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2. The document holder 20 is, for example, a document cover or an automatic document feeder. The document cover and the automatic document feeder have any known configuration.

[0019] The hinge device 10 is a device that supports the document holder 20 so as to be openable and closable with respect to the image forming apparatus main body 2. The hinge device 10 is provided at the rear end of the image forming apparatus main body 2 and the document holder 20.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the hinge device 10 includes a stationary support member 11, a rotating support member 12, a rotating shaft 13, and a grease cleaner 14.

[0021] The stationary support member 11 is provided at the rear end of the image forming apparatus main body 2. The stationary support member 11 includes a surface plate 111 and a pair of side plates 112 covering both sides of the surface plate 111. The surface plate 111 and the side plates 112 are formed of plate-shaped members.

[0022] The front panel 111 is formed by curving a plate-like member from the front to the rear so as to be substantially U-shaped when viewed from the side (right or left, or as viewed in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5). The pair of side panels 112 are large enough to cover the right and left sides of the front panel 111.

[0023] A through hole 113 for inserting the rotating shaft 13 is formed in the pair of side plates 112. A bearing (not shown) is provided in the through hole 113.

[0024] The stationary support member 11 is provided on the image forming apparatus main body 2 so that the open end of the approximate U-shape faces downward, the surface plate 111 extends from the front to the rear, and a pair of side plates 112 are positioned in the left-right direction.

[0025] The rotating support member 12 is provided on the document holder 20, and is rotatably connected to the stationary support member 11 via a rotating shaft 13. The rotating support member 12 rotates the document holder 20 between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 4) where the document holder 20 covers the top surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2, and an open position (position shown in FIG. 5) where the document holder 20 opens the top surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2.

[0026] The pivot support member 12 is made up of a front plate 121, a back plate 122 arranged opposite the front plate 121, a pair of side plates 123 covering both sides of the front plate 121 and the back plate 122, and a top plate (not shown), and has a generally box-like shape with one end open. The front plate 121, the back plate 122, the side plates 123, and the top plate are made up of plate-like members.

[0027] The front plate 121 and the back plate 122 have a width direction (left-right direction) length that is longer than the width direction (left-right direction) length of the front plate 111 of the stationary support member 11. The front plate 121 is provided on the document holder 20 so as to form the front surface of the rotatable support member 12 when the document holder 20 is located at the closed position. At this time, the pair of side plates 123 form the right and left sides of the rotatable support member 12, and the top plate forms the upper surface of the rotatable support member 12. In other words, the lower surface of the rotatable support member 12 is open when the document holder 20 is located at the closed position.

[0028] The rotation support member 12 includes a sliding member 15 that slides in a direction toward or away from the stationary support member 11 , and a spring member 16 that biases the sliding member 15 in a direction to bring it closer to the stationary support member 11 .

[0029] The sliding member 15 has a substantially box-like shape with one end surface open. The sliding member 15 can accommodate the spring member 16 therein and has a size that allows it to be accommodated inside the rotating support member 12. The sliding member 15 is slidably provided inside the rotating support member 12 such that the open surface becomes the upper surface when the document holder 20 is located at the closed position. The tip portion 151 (the lower end portion when in the closed position) of the sliding member 15 is formed so that one side 151a extending in the left-right direction is always in contact with the surface 111a of the surface plate 111 of the stationary support member 11 while the rotating support member 12 rotates with the sliding member 15 disposed inside the rotating support member 12.

[0030] The spring member 16 is, for example, a coil spring. The spring member 16 is housed inside the sliding member 15. The spring member 16 has a length that allows it to be constantly compressed by a surface constituting the tip portion 151 of the sliding member 15 and the top plate of the rotating support member 12 while the document holder 20 rotates between the closed position and the open position, and to urge the sliding member 15 in a direction to approach the stationary support member 11. The spring member 61 may have any known configuration as long as it can constantly urge the sliding member 15 in a direction to approach the stationary support member 11.

[0031] The rotating shaft 13 has a cylindrical shape. The rotating shaft 13 is longer than the width direction length of the front plate 111 of the stationary support member 11 and has a length approximately equal to the width direction length of the front plate 121 of the rotating support member 12. The rotating shaft 13 is attached to a pair of side plates 123 of the rotating support member 12 in a state where it is inserted into the through holes 113 of the pair of side plates 112 of the stationary support member 11. As a result, the rotating support member 12 rotates with respect to the stationary support member 11 about the rotating shaft 13 as an axis, and the document holder 20 rotates between a closed position and an open position.

[0032] The grease cleaner 14 is a tool for cleaning the grease applied to the surface 111a of the surface plate 111 of the stationary support member 11. The grease cleaner 14 is made of a plate-shaped elastic resin material. The grease cleaner 14 has a length approximately equal to the width direction length of the surface plate 111 of the stationary support member 11.

[0033] The grease cleaner 14 is attached to the rotating support member 12, specifically, to the front end 152 of the tip 151 of the sliding member 15. At this time, the grease cleaner 14 is attached such that the tip 141 (the end opposite to the side attached to the sliding member 15) of the grease cleaner 14 is constantly in contact with the surface 111a of the surface plate 111 of the stationary support member 11 by the elastic force of the grease cleaner 14 while the rotating support member 12 is rotating. As a result, a space A for accommodating grease G is formed by the tip 141 of the grease cleaner 14, the tip 151 of the sliding member 15, and the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11.

[0034] The hinge device 10 is assembled as follows. That is, the sliding member 15 and the grease cleaner 14 are positioned so that the grease G applied to the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 is accommodated in the space A between the grease cleaner 14 located on the front side and one side 151a of the tip portion 151 of the sliding member 15 located on the rear side that abuts against the stationary support member 11. In this state, the rotating shaft 13 is inserted through the through hole 113 of the side plate 112 of the stationary support member 11, the rotating support member 12 is disposed so as to cover the sliding member 15 and the stationary support member 11, and the rotating shaft 13 is attached to the side plate 123 of the rotating support member 12. The hinge device 10 thus constructed is formed of, for example, a resin material.

[0035] Next, the operation of the hinge device 10 and the grease cleaner 14 will be described.

[0036] First, when the document holder 20 is in the closed position covering the top surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2, i.e., in the position shown in Figure 4, grease G is contained in the space A surrounded by the tip 141 of the grease cleaner 14, the tip 151 of the sliding member 15, and the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11.

[0037] 5, the grease cleaner 14, which is located at the front and always abuts against the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11, moves while wiping the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11. As a result, the grease cleaner 14 wipes off the grease G on the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11, which is exposed when the document holder 20 is opened.

[0038] Thereafter, when the document holder 20 rotates about the rotation shaft 13 to the closed position covering the top surface of the image forming apparatus main body 2, i.e., to return to the position shown in FIG. 4, the sliding member 15 moves in a direction approaching the stationary support member 11 inside the rotating support member 12 due to the biasing force of the spring member 16. As a result, the tip 151 of the sliding member 15 is constantly in contact with the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 behind the grease cleaner 14, so that the tip 151 of the sliding member 15 applies grease G to the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 again.

[0039] In this manner, the grease G moves over the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 while remaining contained in the space A, and is repeatedly wiped off and reapplied each time the rotatable support member 12 rotates relative to the stationary support member 11.

[0040] As described above, the hinge device 10 of the present invention is provided with the grease cleaner 14 that comes into contact with the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11. The grease cleaner 14 wipes off the grease G applied to the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 as the document holder 20 is opened. This prevents the grease G from remaining on the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 that is exposed when the document holder 20 is opened, and prevents the grease G from coming into contact with the document and the user.

[0041] In the hinge device 10 of this embodiment, the pivot support member 12 includes the sliding member 15, and one side 151a of the tip 151 of the sliding member 15 abuts against the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11 behind the grease cleaner 14. As a result, when the document holder 20 is closed, the grease G that has been wiped off by the grease cleaner 14 and is contained in the space A between the tip 141 of the grease cleaner 14 and the tip 151 of the sliding member 15 can be spread again by the tip 151 of the sliding member 15 and reapplied to the surface 111a of the stationary support member 11. This makes it possible to prevent the hinge device 10 from becoming difficult to operate due to the grease G running out.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all components shown in the embodiments. The drawings may be shown mainly in a schematic manner, with each component being the main component, to facilitate understanding. The number of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual number for the convenience of drawing. In addition, each component shown in the above embodiments is an example, and is not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible within a range that does not substantially deviate from the effects of the present invention.

[0043] For example, in the above embodiment, the rotation support member 12 includes the sliding member 15 and the spring member 16, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the rotation support member 12 may be configured without including the sliding member 15 and the spring member 16. In this case, the grease cleaner 14 is directly attached to the rotation support member 12. Also, instead of the sliding member 15, the rotation support member 12 may include an abutment member that is fixed to the rotation support member 12 and always abuts against the stationary support member 11 behind the grease cleaner 14 while the rotation support member 12 rotates relative to the stationary support member 11. [Industrial Applicability]

[0044] The present invention can be used in the fields of hinge devices and image forming devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Image forming device 2. Image forming device main body 10 Hinge device 11 Stationary support member 111a Surface of stationary support member 12 Rotational support member 13 Rotating shaft 14 Grease cleaning tool 141 Tip of grease cleaning tool 15 Sliding member 151 Tip of sliding member 152 Front end of sliding member 16 Spring member 20 Document holder A Space

Claims

1. A hinge device that supports an original holder so as to be openable and closable relative to an image forming apparatus body, a stationary support member provided in the image forming apparatus body; a rotary support member provided on the document holder and rotatably connected to the stationary support member via a rotary shaft; a grease cleaner attached to the rotation support member; Equipped with A hinge device, wherein a tip portion of the grease cleaner is constantly in contact with a surface of the stationary support member when the rotating support member rotates.

2. the rotation support member includes a sliding member that slides in a direction approaching or moving away from the stationary support member, and a spring member that biases the sliding member in a direction to approach the stationary support member, When the rotation support member rotates, the tip end of the sliding member is constantly in contact with the surface of the stationary support member due to the biasing force of the spring member, the stationary support member is provided at a rear end of the image forming apparatus body, The hinge device according to claim 1 , wherein the grease cleaner is attached to a front end of the sliding member.

3. An image forming apparatus comprising the hinge device according to claim 1 or 2.

Images