Image forming device

Abstract

To address the difficulty of switching the front and the back of a sheet material when the sheet material is attached by using a double-side tape or an adhesive as it is necessary to change an appearance of an image forming device by switching the front and the back of the sheet material when an IC card reader is attached after the IC card reader is installed without being attached in response to a user's request in the image forming device to which the IC card reader can be attached.SOLUTION: This image forming device comprises a storage member that stores a sheet having a mark for showing an IC card. When the storage member having the sheet stored therein is attached to the image forming device, at least one surface of the sheet becomes visible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which an IC card reader can be attached. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Generally, image forming apparatuses equipped with an IC card reader capable of reading information from an IC card including user information and the like are known.

[0003] Cited Document 1 describes an image forming device having a sheet material with a mark that serves as a guide for waving an IC card over the sheet material. The sheet material is attached to the image forming device using double-sided tape or adhesive, and the mark on the exterior allows the user to easily recognize the position where to waving the IC card over the sheet material.

[0004] However, IC card readers generally used in image forming apparatuses are optional, and may or may not be attached depending on the user. If a mark is provided as a guide for holding an IC card over the device even when an IC card is not provided, this may confuse the user. Therefore, in the case of a configuration in which a mark is provided on a sheet material as in Patent Document 1, the user can select either the side with the mark or the side without the mark, and attach the sheet material so that the selected side can be recognized as the appearance, thereby realizing an appropriate appearance depending on whether or not an IC card reader is attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-83012 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an image forming apparatus that can be fitted with an IC card reader, the IC card reader may be attached after the apparatus is installed without the IC card reader at the user's request. Therefore, it is necessary to change the appearance of the image forming apparatus by turning the sheet material over depending on whether the IC card reader is attached or not. In this case, if the sheet material is attached using double-sided tape or adhesive as in the cited document 1, it may be difficult to turn the sheet material over.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus whose appearance can be easily changed depending on whether an IC card reader is attached or not. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium, and is characterized in that it comprises an IC card reader attachment section to which an IC card reader that reads information contained in an IC card can be attached, a sheet having a mark on a first surface that serves as a guide for holding an IC card over it and no mark on a second surface, and a storage member in which the sheet can be stored, wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the stored sheet can be viewed, and the storage member is attached to the IC card reader attachment section in a state in which at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the stored sheet can be viewed from outside the image forming apparatus. Effect of the Invention

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus whose appearance can be easily changed depending on whether an IC card reader is attached or not. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a communication method between an IC card and an IC card reader. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the periphery of a cover portion that covers an IC card reader. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a placement section on which an IC card reader is placed. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining IC card readers in which lighting sections are provided at different locations. [Figure 8] 3 shows an example of an IC card reader mounted on the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining a method of attaching an IC card reader to a placement portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a cover portion in a state where the sheet material is removed. [Figure 11] 4 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a cover and a lighting portion of an IC card reader. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an effect of a sheet material. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the appearance of a sheet material that is attached before and after placing an IC card reader. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining a configuration in which a transparent member is attached to a cover portion. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a top view of the transparent storage member and the transparent member attached to the cover portion. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which the transparent storage member and the transparent member are attached to the cover portion. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a state in which the transparent storage member and the transparent member are attached to the cover portion. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a resin member. [Figure 19] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the shape of a hole for visually checking the lamp of an IC card reader. [Figure 20]6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining a configuration in which a resin member is attached to a cover member. [Figure 21] 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a shape that allows the resin member to be inserted into the cover portion. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the resin member is attached to the cover portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0012] It should be noted that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, and the like of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those details, unless otherwise specified. EXAMPLES

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus> 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is, for example, a multifunction machine equipped with various functions such as a copy function, a reading function, and a printing function. However, the image forming apparatus for carrying out the present invention is not limited to a multifunction machine, and may be, for example, a printer that does not include an image reading device 6.

[0015] In the following description, the upward, downward, rightward, leftward, backward, and forward directions are defined as shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, the direction from the front to the back of the page is the backward direction, and the direction from the back to the front of the page is the forward direction.

[0016] In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming device 1 that forms an image on a sheet or the like that is a recording medium to be recorded, and an image reading device 6 that is disposed above the image forming device 1 in the vertical direction and reads an image of a sheet such as a document to be read. The image forming apparatus 1 further includes an operation unit 11 that accepts operations by a worker such as a user or a serviceman. The operation unit 11 is disposed at the height position of the image reading device 6 with the operation surface facing upward. The operation unit 11 is also rotatably attached to the image forming apparatus 1. Specifically, the operation unit 11 is rotatable about an axis that is parallel to the left-right direction in FIG. 1 as a rotation axis. The axis direction of this rotation is parallel to the width direction of the image forming apparatus 1, which is the left-right direction in FIG. 1. The dotted line portion represents the outline of the operation unit 11 when the operation surface of the operation unit 11 faces the front side.

[0017] An authentication device storage unit 21 is provided adjacent to the operation unit 11 in the width direction (left-right direction) of the image forming apparatus 1. Here, the width direction is a direction perpendicular to both the pull-out direction of the sheet storage unit 2 and the vertical direction. In other words, it is a direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the depth direction of the image forming apparatus 1. An IC card reader 61 for reading a contactless IC card is stored in the authentication device storage unit 21, which will be described in detail later.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining a mechanism for mutual communication between IC card reader 61 and IC card 620. Fig. 2 shows a state in which IC card 620 is held over IC card reader 61. As shown in Fig. 2, IC card reader 61 has antenna unit 610. In this embodiment, when the main power supply of image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, power is supplied to IC card reader 61, and antenna unit 610 emits magnetic field E1.

[0019] On the other hand, the IC card 620 is provided with an IC chip 612 and a coil 611. When the IC card 620 is held over the IC card reader 61, a magnetic field E2 is formed around the coil 611 by a magnetic field E1, and an induced current is generated in the coil 611. The IC chip 612 is driven by the induced current flowing through the coil 611, and the IC card 620 and the IC card reader 61 communicate with each other in the above-mentioned manner. This communication is called short-distance wireless communication because it is performed when the distance between the IC card 620 and the IC card reader 61 is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

[0020] In this embodiment, the authentication device storage section 21 is provided at the end (right end) of the image forming apparatus 1 in the width direction of the image forming apparatus 1. Although details will be described later, an operator logs in by holding his / her IC card 620 over the authentication device storage section 21. Since the authentication device storage section 21 is located at about the same height as the operation unit 11, the operator can easily hold his / her IC card 620 over it. In this embodiment, the authentication device storage section 21 is provided at the right end of the image forming apparatus 1 on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, but it does not have to be provided on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, and may be provided on the right or left side of the image forming apparatus 1, for example. In this embodiment, the authentication device storage section 21 is disposed on the right side of the display unit 55 when a user who operates the display unit 55 facing the display unit 55 described later looks at the image forming apparatus 1 from the front.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment is a tandem-type full-color multifunction machine in which image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK corresponding to each color are arranged along an intermediate transfer belt 12. In the image forming unit PY of the main body 3, a yellow toner image is formed and primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 12. In the image forming unit PM, a magenta toner image is formed and primarily transferred and superimposed on the yellow toner image of the intermediate transfer belt 12. In the image forming units PC and PK, a cyan toner image and a black toner image are formed, respectively, and similarly primarily transferred in sequence and superimposed on the toner image of the intermediate transfer belt 12.

[0022] The four-color toner image carried on the intermediate transfer belt 12 is transported to the secondary transfer section T2 and is collectively secondarily transferred onto the recording material P which is sandwiched and transported through the secondary transfer section T2 while being superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 12. The recording paper P onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred in the secondary transfer section T2 is heated and pressurized by a fixing device 14 housed in the vertical path section 4 to fix the toner image on its surface, and then discharged to the paper discharge tray 5 by discharge rollers 15.

[0023] A paper feed cassette 2 (an example of a sheet storage section) is provided at the bottom of the main body section 3. The paper feed cassette 2 is provided so as to be removable from the image forming apparatus 1, and can be removed toward the front side of the image forming apparatus 1. The recording paper P is picked up one by one from the paper feed cassette 2 and proceeds to the vertical path section 4. The recording paper P waits in front of the secondary transfer section T2, and is sent to the secondary transfer section T2 in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 12. The vertical path section 4 located below the operation section 11 houses a conveying mechanism for the recording paper P including the paper discharge roller 15, various sensors, a blower fan, and the like. The recording paper P that has passed through the vertical path section 4 is discharged to an in-body paper discharge space 30 provided between the image reading device 6 and the main body section 3.

[0024] A paper output tray 5 is provided in the internal paper output space 30. The discharged recording paper P is stacked on the paper output tray 5. This allows an operator to remove the recording paper P on which an image has been formed in the main body 3 from the front side of the image forming device 1.

[0025] An image reading device 6 is disposed above the internal paper discharge space 30. The image reading device 6 optically reads an image on the underside of a document placed on its reading surface and converts it into image data, and a document is placed on the reading surface 6a with the automatic document feeder 7 lifted. The automatic document feeder 7 separates each document from a stack of documents loaded on a document tray 8 and passes them through the reading surface, causing the image reading device 6 to scan the documents.

[0026] In the automatic reading mode, an original is set on the original tray 8 of the automatic document feeder 7. In the manual reading mode, the automatic document feeder 7 is rotated rearward and opened upward, thereby making it possible to access the reading surface 6a of the image reading unit 6. In this embodiment, the operation unit 11 is provided at a position lower than the reading surface 6a so as not to impede accessibility for the operation of setting an original on the reading surface 6a. After setting an original on the original tray 8 of the automatic document feeder 7 (or the reading surface 6a of the image reading unit 6), information such as black and white or color reading mode, copy output size, type of recording material, number of copies, etc. is input through the operation unit 11.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation unit 11 has a display unit 55. The display unit 55 displays information such as, for example, a black and white or color reading mode, a copy output size, a type of recording material, and the number of copies. The display unit 55 in this embodiment is a touch panel type liquid crystal screen. A numeric keypad for inputting the number of copies and the recipient's telephone number when sending a facsimile is displayed as soft keys in a predetermined area in the display unit 55. Therefore, the input of information by the operator's touch operation such as flicking, swiping, and scrolling is accepted. In addition, the display unit 55 can display information about printing conditions to the operator. For example, when the operator prints paper, information such as the size and number of sheets is displayed on the display unit 55. These conditions that can be set by the user when printing are collectively referred to as "printing conditions (also referred to as image formation conditions)". Each user can register his / her own unique printing conditions in the image forming apparatus 1. For example, for a user for whom the majority of printing conditions are A4 monochrome, it is desirable that the "A4 monochrome" printing conditions be set at the time of logging in to the image forming apparatus 1. The memory of the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment is capable of storing printing conditions for each user. Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which the "printing conditions" of a user are automatically set at the time the user completes logging in to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0028] Here, "login" refers to an action by a user to be authenticated by the image forming apparatus 1, for example, inputting a "user ID" and a "password" into the image forming apparatus 1. "Login completed" refers to a state in which the user is identified by the image forming apparatus 1. For example, if "printing conditions" have been set by the user in the image forming apparatus 1, the CPU calls up the "printing conditions" of the user from memory in response to the user being identified, and automatically sets them. Also, when a user is in a logged-in state, the display unit 55 may display the user ID of the logged-in user. In a configuration capable of such a display, it is possible to determine whether or not the user is currently logged in based on whether or not the user ID is displayed.

[0029] (Authentication device housing 21) Next, the authentication device accommodating section 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the authentication device accommodating section 21 when the operation unit 11 is not shown, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the authentication device accommodating section 21, and Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining the attachment of an IC card reader 61 to the authentication device accommodating section 21.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, an L-shaped metal plate 31 for fixing the operation unit 11 is fixed to a front frame 60 constituting a frame on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 by a plurality of screws 32. A plurality of burrings for screws (not shown) are formed on the front side surface of the front frame 60. The L-shaped metal plate 31 is fixed from the front side by a plurality of screws 32 corresponding to the plurality of burrings of the front frame 60. The L-shaped metal plate 31 is a metal plate material having a substantially L-shape in a YZ cross section. The L-shaped metal plate 31 has a first surface 31a and a second surface 31b. The first surface 31a is fixed to the front frame 60 by a plurality of screws 32. The front frame 60 is a part of the frame located on the front side of the frame of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0031] In addition, the upper right stay 3a is one of the frames provided to ensure the strength and rigidity of the image forming apparatus 1. A plurality of burrings for screws (not shown) are formed on the top surface of the upper right stay 3a. The second surface 31b of the L-shaped sheet metal 31 is fixed from the top surface by a plurality of screws 33 in correspondence with the plurality of burrings of the upper right stay 3a. In this manner, the first surface 31a of the L-shaped sheet metal 31 is fixed to the front frame 60, and the second surface 31b is fixed to the upper right stay 3a.

[0032] Although not shown, a control board is provided on the rear side of the image forming apparatus 1. A USB cable 38 extends from this control board through the upper right stay 3a to the front of the image forming apparatus 1. A connector 39 is provided at the end of the USB cable 38, and this connector is fixed to the front frame 60 by screws 40. The connector 39 functions as a USB port, and a connector 63 provided at the end of a cable 62 of an IC card reader 61, which will be described later, is inserted into the connector 39. The connector 63 is a USB connector, and power is supplied to the connector 39, which is a USB port.

[0033] 5, a plurality of screw burrings (not shown) are formed on the top surface of the upper right stay 3a at the right side of the L-shaped metal plate 31 and at a position that does not overlap with the L-shaped metal plate 31 in a top view. The mounting portion 34 is fixed by a plurality of screws 35 so as to correspond to the plurality of burrings of the upper right stay 3a. The IC card reader 61 is mounted on the mounting portion 34. The mounting portion 34 is located downstream of the image reading device 6 in the drawing direction of the paper feed cassette 2, that is, on the near side. Since a part of the mounting portion 34 is located on the near side of the image reading device 6, the IC card reader 61 is also disposed on the near side of the image reading device 6. Therefore, the cover portion 100 (an example of a reader cover) that covers the IC card reader 61 is also disposed on the near side of the image reading device 6. In other words, the mounting portion 34 and the cover portion 100 correspond to the IC card reader attachment portion.

[0034] Moreover, the placement unit 34 and the cover unit 100 are provided at approximately the same height as the display unit 55. This allows the user to easily hold the IC card 620 over an authentication terminal such as the IC card reader 61. Furthermore, the placement unit 34 and the cover unit 100 are provided adjacent to the display unit 55 in the width direction of the image forming apparatus 1, thereby improving usability.

[0035] A plurality of burrings for screws (not shown) are formed on the second surface 31b of the L-shaped metal sheet 31. The operation unit base 36 is fixed by a plurality of screws 37 corresponding to the plurality of burrings of the L-shaped metal sheet 31. The operation unit 11 is placed on the operation unit base 36. The operation unit base 36 also functions to cover the placement portion 34, as will be described in detail later.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the IC card reader 61 is provided with a cable 62, and a connector 63, which is a USB connector, is provided at the tip of the cable 62. Power is supplied to the IC card reader 61 via the connector 63 and the cable 62. The connector 63 is connected to a connector 39 fixed to the first surface 31a of the L-shaped metal sheet 31 with screws 40. Meanwhile, the IC card reader 61 is placed on the placement portion 34. If there is any slack in the cable 62, the slack is processed on the front side of the first surface 31a of the L-shaped metal sheet 31. Thereafter, the operation unit base 36 is fixed to the second surface 31b of the L-shaped metal sheet 31 with a plurality of screws 37.

[0037] The method of fixing IC card reader 61 to mounting portion 34 differs depending on the IC card reader 61 mounted on image forming apparatus 1. The size and shape of IC card reader 61 differs depending on each manufacturer. Therefore, the method of fixing IC card reader 61 to mounting portion 34 needs to differ depending on the size and shape of IC card reader 61, which will be described in detail later.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 6, IC card reader 61 has lighting unit 601 that emits light. In this embodiment, lighting unit 601 is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diord), and is built into IC card reader 61. Lighting unit 601 indicates the operating state of IC card reader 61 by emitting light. In this embodiment, lighting unit 601 emits green light when information on the IC card can be read normally, and lights red when information on the IC card cannot be read normally. That is, lighting unit 601 corresponds to a light-emitting unit.

[0039] It is not necessary to have only one lighting section 601, and a configuration having a plurality of lighting sections 601 may be used. For example, two lighting sections 601 are formed side by side, and one lighting section lights up in green when the information on the IC card 620 can be read normally, and the other lighting section lights up in red when the information on the IC card 620 cannot be read normally. Also, the operating state of the IC card reader 61 may be indicated not only by lighting but also by flashing.

[0040] Here, depending on the type of IC card reader 61, lighting unit 601 may be provided at a different position on IC card reader 61. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of IC card reader 61 used in the description of this embodiment and a schematic diagram of another IC card reader 71 different from IC card reader 61, side by side.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, IC card reader 61 has lighting unit 601 on the upper side of the paper, which is the side where cable 62 is provided. On the other hand, IC card reader 71 has lighting unit 701 on the lower side of the paper, which is the opposite side to the side where cable 72 is provided. As described above, IC card readers are not standardized in terms of the location where the lighting unit is provided, and the location of the lighting unit may differ depending on the product. Therefore, for example, when an IC card reader is later attached to image forming apparatus 1, it may be unclear what kind of IC card reader is attached. Therefore, for example, even when IC card reader 61 or IC card reader 71 is attached to image forming apparatus 1, cover unit 100 (an example of a terminal cover) needs to be configured so that lighting unit 601 (701) can be seen.

[0042] Here, an example of IC card reader 61 used in image forming apparatus 1 is shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 also shows the top surface shape, installation method, and location of lighting unit 601 of IC card readers 61 No. 1 to 5. The bottom row of the table shows a diagram for explaining the holes formed in cover unit 100 that face the lighting unit. As explained above, the size and shape of IC card reader 61 mounted on image forming apparatus 1 differ depending on the type, so the method of installing IC card reader 61 on mounting unit 34 needs to differ accordingly.

[0043] 9 is a diagram for explaining a state in which cover unit 100 covers an IC card reader placed on placement unit 34. The diagram is a cross-sectional view of operation unit 11 cut along the back-to-front direction of image forming apparatus 1, viewed from the right side of image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 9(a) is a diagram for explaining a case in which IC card reader No. 1 is mounted on image forming apparatus 1, and FIG. 9(b) is a diagram for explaining a case in which IC card reader No. 4 is mounted on image forming apparatus 1.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9(a), IC card reader No. 1 is placed on mounting section 34 via sponge 630, and IC card reader and cover section 100 are attached with double-sided tape. The IC card reader is suspended from cover section 100 by the double-sided tape, but the bottom of the IC card reader is supported by sponge 630, so that the IC card reader will not come off cover section 100. IC card readers No. 2 and No. 3 are also sandwiched between sponge 630 provided on mounting section 34 and cover section 100, like IC card reader No. 1 shown in this figure, and are attached to cover section 100 with double-sided tape. When attaching cover section 100 to the IC card reader, the lighting section of the IC card reader is adjusted to face one of the multiple openings formed in cover section 100, thereby preventing the lighting section from being hidden by cover section 100.

[0045] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the top surface of the IC card reader No. 4 is not flat, so it is difficult to fix the IC card reader and the cover part 100 with double-sided tape. Therefore, the IC card reader is pressed against the cover part 100 by a sponge laid on the mounting part 34 to determine the relative position of the cover part 100 and the IC card reader. Since the IC card reader is sandwiched between the sponge and the cover part 100, the IC card reader does not move relative to the mounting part 34 and the cover part 100. The IC card reader No. 5 is also not flat like the IC card reader No. 4, so the top surface is not flat, so the sponge laid on the mounting part 34 urges the IC card reader against the cover part 100, and the position of the IC card reader relative to the cover part 100 is fixed. The IC card reader is placed on the sponge laid on the mounting part 34 so that the lighting part faces one of the openings formed in the cover part 100 when the IC card reader is covered with the cover part 100. This prevents the lighting portion from being hidden by the cover portion 100.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 8, the location of the lighting part provided on IC card reader 61 varies depending on the type of IC card reader 61. In the "Location of lighting part" column in FIG. 8, the location indicated by a square is the location of lighting part 601. For example, in the case of IC card reader 61 made by company A, lighting part 601 is provided on the upper side of IC card reader 61 as viewed from the paper surface. On the other hand, in the case of IC card reader 61 made by company B, lighting part 601 is provided on the lower right side of IC card reader 61 as viewed from the paper surface. Since the location of lighting part 601 varies depending on the type of IC card reader 61, a plurality of openings are formed in cover part 100 so that lighting part 601 is not hidden by cover part 100 regardless of which IC card reader 61 is mounted.

[0047] As described in the bottom row of the table in FIG. 8, a total of eight openings are formed in the cover unit 100 in this embodiment. The dotted frame in the cover unit 100 shown in FIG. 8 represents the openings. All the openings are for allowing the user to visually recognize the light of the lighting unit 601 provided in the IC card reader 61. Also, in FIG. 8, the openings facing the lighting unit 601 of the mounted IC card reader 61 are shown with solid lines. When the IC card reader 61 is covered with the cover unit 100, the lighting unit 601 faces the opening shown with the solid line, so the user can visually recognize the lighting unit 601 from the opening. The exterior of the IC card reader 61 can be visually recognized from the other openings shown with dotted lines. Some types of IC card readers 61 have multiple lighting units 601, so the lighting unit 601 may be visually recognized from multiple openings formed in the cover unit 100.

[0048] Here, cover part 100 is attached to IC card readers 61 No. 1 to No. 3 with double-sided tape. Therefore, when attaching cover part 100 to IC card reader 61, care should be taken so that one of the multiple openings formed in cover part 100 faces the lighting part of IC card reader 61.

[0049] The example of IC card reader 61 shown in FIG. 8 is only an example, but it can be seen that the sizes are different. It is not known which IC card reader 61 will be mounted on mounting section 34. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is necessary to configure so that at least all of the examples of IC card reader 61 listed in FIG. 8 can be attached. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on the width of IC card reader No. 5 (width: 77 mm), which is the widest, and the height of IC card reader No. 2 (length: 98 mm), which is the widest, authentication device accommodating section 21, which is an accommodation space of width: 80 mm x length: 100 mm, is provided. As a result, regardless of at least the IC card reader 61 listed in FIG. 8, any IC card reader 61 that fits into this accommodation space can be accommodated in authentication device accommodating section 21. In this way, the authentication device storage section 21 is configured taking into consideration the size of the IC card reader 61 that may be used, and by using different double-sided tapes and sponges 630, the relative positions of the IC card reader 61 and the cover section 100 are prevented from changing.

[0050] (Cover portion 100 and sheet material 36a) Next, the cover part 100 and the sheet material 36a will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the cover part 100 covers the IC card reader 61 placed on the placement part 34. As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, the cover part 100 is a part of the operation part stand 36. However, the embodiment is not limited to a form in which the cover part 100 forms a part of the operation part stand 36, and the cover part 100 may be an independent member. That is, the operation part stand 36 on which the operation part 11 is placed and the cover part 100 covering the IC card reader 61 may be separate members, and only the cover part 100 may be detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 1 as a single member. In that case, for example, the cover part 100 is detachably fastened to the placement part 34 by a screw or a bolt. In this embodiment, the cover part 100 is a black resin member having a thickness of about 2 mm, and is attached to the IC card reader 61 via double-sided tape.

[0051] 10, a plurality of holes 36b1 to 36b8 (examples of openings) are formed in the cover part 100. By forming these holes, the light emitted from the lighting part 601 can be visually recognized from outside the cover part 100. In this embodiment, the diameter of the holes is about 5 mm.

[0052] The positions of the holes formed in the cover part 100 must correspond to the positions of the lighting parts 601 of the IC card readers 61 shown in FIG. 8. For example, the holes are formed on the upper and lower sides of the cover part 100 so that both the lighting parts 601 of the No. 1 IC card readers 61 and the lighting parts 601 of the No. 2 IC card readers 61 are visible from the cover part 100. Specifically, when the cover part 100 is divided into two equal parts in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the width direction perpendicular to the back-to-front direction of the image forming apparatus 1, at least one hole is formed in each region. The dotted line Q shown in FIG. 10 is a line that divides the cover part 100 into two equal parts above and below. As can be seen from this figure, holes 36b1 to 36b3, holes 36b7, and holes 36b8 are formed in the region on one side of the dotted line Q. Also, holes 36b4 to 36b6 are formed in the region on the other side of the dotted line Q. In this way, when the cover portion 100 is divided into two equal parts by the dotted line Q, at least one opening is formed in each of the regions on one side and the other side.

[0053] In Fig. 10, IC card reader 61 is placed on placing portion 34. When cover portion 100 covers IC card reader 61 with IC card reader 61 placed on placing portion 34, hole 36b2 faces lighting portion 601. Therefore, light emitted from lighting portion 601 passes through hole 36b2 and is emitted to the outside of cover portion 100. Note that at this time, holes 36b1 and 36b3 to 36b8 face the exterior portion of IC card reader 61. Therefore, lighting portion 601b cannot be seen through these holes.

[0054] On the other hand, when cover portion 100 covers IC card reader 71 with IC card reader 71 placed on placement portion 34, hole 36b6 faces lighting portion 701. Therefore, light emitted from lighting portion 701 passes through hole 36b6 and is emitted to the outside of cover portion 100. Note that at this time, holes 36b1-36b5, holes 36b7, and holes 36b8 face the exterior portion of IC card reader 71. Therefore, lighting portion 701 cannot be seen through holes 36b1-36b5, holes 36b7, and holes 36b8.

[0055] As described above, the cover portion 100 is formed with the hole 36b2 facing the lighting portion 601 of the IC card reader 61 placed on the placement portion 34, and the hole 36b6 facing the lighting portion 701 of the IC card reader 71 placed on the placement portion 34. As a result, even if an IC card reader with a different location for the lighting portion is attached, the lighting portion is not blocked by the cover portion 100, so the same cover portion 100 can be used. Since it is not necessary to use different covers for the IC card readers depending on the type of IC card reader (for example, IC card reader 61 and IC card reader 71), the cover portion 100 can be reused, which provides cost benefits.

[0056] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between the lighting portion 601 and the hole 36b2 formed in the cover portion 100. As described above, the cover portion 100 is disposed so that the hole 36b2 faces the lighting portion 601 of the IC card reader 61. Although details will be described later, when covering the IC card reader 61 with the cover portion 100, an operator fixes the cover portion 100 to the IC card reader 61 using, for example, double-sided tape so that the hole 36b2 formed in the cover portion 100 faces the lighting portion 601. At that time, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the cover portion 100 is attached to the IC card reader 61 so that the center line C of the lighting portion 601 coincides with the center of the hole 36b2. By disposing the lighting portion 601 and the hole 36b2 facing each other in this way, the amount of light illuminating the inside of the hole 36b2 increases, and the light of the lighting portion 601 is easily visible even through a sheet material 36a (an example of a transparent member).

[0057] FIG. 11(b) shows an example in which the cover 100 is disposed so that the center line C of the lighting portion 601 is offset from the hole 36b2. When the cover 100 is attached to the IC card reader 61, the lighting portion 601 may be offset from the hole 36b2 due to an attachment error. This error is particularly noticeable when the cover 100 is attached to the IC card reader 61 by a person. When the lighting portion 601 is an LED, it has a certain degree of directivity, so that if the center line C of the lighting portion 601 is offset from the center of the hole 36b2, the amount of light illuminating the hole 36b2 is reduced. However, when the hole 36b2 of the cover 100 is viewed from the side where the sheet material 36a is disposed, if a part of the lighting portion 601 is visible through the hole 36b2, the light of the lighting portion 601 can be sufficiently visible through the sheet material 36a. Therefore, it is sufficient that the cover portion 100 is attached to the IC card reader 61 so that at least a part of the lighting portion 601 faces the hole 36b2.

[0058] On the other hand, FIG. 11(c) is a diagram for explaining a case where the lighting portion 601 does not face the hole 36b2. When the lighting portion 601 is covered by the cover portion 100 as shown in FIG. 11(c), the lighting portion 601 cannot be visually recognized through the hole 36b2 formed in the cover portion 100. In this way, when the lighting portion 601 and the hole 36b2 do not face each other, the inside of the hole 36b2 is not sufficiently illuminated by the light emitted from the lighting portion 601. If the light of the lighting portion 601 cannot be sufficiently visually recognized through the sheet material 36a, it is difficult for the user to confirm the operating state of the IC card reader 61. Therefore, when attaching the cover portion 100 to the IC card reader 61, it is preferable to attach it so that the lighting portion 601 and the hole 36b2 of the cover portion 100 face each other as shown in FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b).

[0059] As shown in Fig. 11, a sheet material 36a is attached to the cover part 100. The sheet material 36a is a semi-transparent sheet, and covers a plurality of holes 36b1 to 36b8 formed in the cover part 100. Since the holes 36b1 to 36b8 of the cover part 100 are covered, the appearance quality of the image forming apparatus 1 is improved. The thickness of the sheet material 36a is set as thin as possible so as not to impair the detection performance of the IC card reader 61. In this embodiment, the thickness is set to about 1.0 mm, which is thinner than the thickness of the cover part 100.

[0060] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 34, the IC card reader 61 mounted on the mounting portion 34, and the cover portion 100 taken along the dashed line A in Fig. 10. Fig. 12(a) is a diagram for explaining light incident from the outside of the operation portion 11 toward the cover portion 100 via the sheet material 36a. For ease of explanation, the explanation will proceed assuming that the lighting portion 601 is not lit.

[0061] In Fig. 12(a), the light indicated by the symbols R and T is light traveling toward the cover portion 100 through the sheet material 36a. After passing through the sheet material 36a, the light R is reflected at a portion of the cover portion 100 where no holes are formed. In this manner, the light R is first attenuated as it passes through the sheet material 36a, is reflected by the cover portion 100, is further attenuated within the sheet material 36a, and is emitted to the outside from the sheet material 36a. Therefore, the color visually recognized by the user becomes blackish.

[0062] After passing through the sheet material 36a, the light T travels into the interior of a number of holes formed in the cover part 100, such as holes 36b1 to 36b3. Therefore, the interior of the holes is illuminated. The light T is then reflected by the top surface of the IC card reader 61 and travels to the outside through the sheet material 36a. In this case as well, the color visually recognized by the user is blackish. Therefore, the boundary between the areas where holes are formed and the areas where holes are not formed in the cover part 100 is not noticeable to the user.

[0063] If the sheet material 36a were not provided, both the light R and the light T would reach the top surface of the cover portion 100 and the holes 36b1-36b3 without being attenuated. However, since the insides of the holes are shaded, they are darker than the top surface of the cover portion 100, and the boundaries between the areas of the cover portion 100 where holes are formed and the areas where holes are not formed stand out.

[0064] FIG. 12(b) is a diagram for explaining the state in which the light E emitted from the lighting unit 601 is emitted to the outside of the sheet material 36a through the sheet material 36a. As described above, the light that has entered the sheet material 36a from the outside of the operation unit 11 passes through the sheet material 36a twice: (1) when it enters the sheet material 36a and reaches the top surface of the cover unit 100, and (2) when it is reflected by the top surface of the cover unit 100 and is emitted from the sheet material 36a. In contrast, the light emitted from the lighting unit 601 passes through the sheet material 36a only once and is emitted to the outside of the sheet material 36a. Therefore, the user can sufficiently view the light emitted from the lighting unit even through the sheet material 36a.

[0065] The configuration of the sheet material 36a will be described with reference to Fig. 12(a). In this embodiment, the sheet material 36a is configured such that a semi-transparent printed layer 36a2 (an example of a second layer) printed on one side of a transparent layer 36a1 is sandwiched between two transparent layers 36a1 (an example of a first layer) having high light transmittance. The transparent layer 36a1 and the printed layer 36a2 each have a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

[0066] In this embodiment, polycarbonate is used for the transparent layer 36a1, but other materials such as acrylic may be used. For example, polycarbonate has better impact resistance and heat resistance than acrylic. On the other hand, acrylic is less susceptible to scratches than polycarbonate. The material of the transparent layer 36a1 can be determined by taking these advantages and disadvantages into consideration.

[0067] The printed layer 36a2 has a function of diffusing the light passing through it. Specifically, the transparent layer 36a1 is printed with ink to give it the function of diffusing the incident light. This adjusts the light transmittance. Another method of forming the printed layer 36a2 is, for example, a method of diffusing the incident light by forming a dot pattern. A diffusing material such as polycarbonate may be mixed in to diffuse the incident light.

[0068] In this way, the light transmittance can be adjusted by changing the ratio of the diffusion material such as polycarbonate mixed in. For example, if the overall transmittance of the sheet material 36a is adjusted, the diffusion material may be mixed in both the first layer, the transparent layer 36a1, and the second layer, the printed layer 36a2. In this embodiment, the first layer, the transparent layer 36a1, is stronger than the second layer, the printed layer 36a2, and also has a higher light transmittance.

[0069] (Type of sheet material 36a display section) Next, the types of sheet material 36a will be described.

[0070] FIG. 13 is an external view of the sheet material 36a. The sheet material 36a is attached to the cover unit 100, and is a sheet on which a touch mark is printed to serve as a guide when the IC card reader is held over the sheet material 36a. FIG. 13(a) shows the unprinted side, which is the second side, of the sheet material 36a. FIG. 13(b) shows the side on which the touch mark 36a21 is printed, which is the first side of the sheet material 36a. As shown in FIG. 13(a), when the user selects to attach the IC card reader 61 to the placement unit 34, the sheet material 36a attached when the IC card reader 61 is not placed on the placement unit 34 has no touch mark 36a21 printed on it. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the sheet material 36a attached when the IC card reader 61 is placed on the placement unit 34 has the touch mark 36a21 printed on it. That is, the front and back of the sheet material 36a are selected depending on whether the IC card reader 61 is attached to the mounting portion 34 or not, and the sheet material 36a is attached to the cover portion 100. As a result, when the IC card reader 61 is attached to the mounting portion, the touch mark 36a21 is made to appear on the outside, and when the IC card reader 61 is not attached to the mounting portion, the touch mark 36a21 is made not to appear on the outside. Therefore, an appropriate appearance of the sheet material 36a can be selected depending on whether the IC card reader 61 is attached to the mounting portion or not, and the risk of the user being confused by the appearance can be reduced.

[0071] Further, in order to prevent the printed portion of the sheet material 36a from being visible through the non-printed surface, a non-transparent paint is applied to the back surface of the printed layer only in the printed area 36a22 where the touch mark is located.

[0072] (Replacement of sheet material 36a) Next, replacement of the sheet material 36a will be described.

[0073] A configuration for mounting the sheet material 36a on the cover unit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 14. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration for attaching the sheet material 36a to the cover unit 100 using a transparent storage member 36c. The transparent storage member 36c is a storage member capable of storing the sheet material 36c therein. The transparent storage member 36c is made of a transparent material, and even when the sheet material 36a is stored therein, the visibility of the appearance of the stored sheet material 36a is not impeded. The transparent storage member 36a corresponds to a storage member. The transparent storage member 36a only needs to have either the first surface or the second surface transparent, and only needs to have at least the touch mark 36a21 visible from the outside of the image forming apparatus on the first surface.

[0074] When attaching the sheet material 36a to the cover section 100, the transparent storage member 36c storing the sheet material 36a therein is attached to the cover section 100. The transparent storage member 36c is attached to the cover section 100 via double-sided tape or the like. The sheet material 36a stored inside the transparent storage member 36c can be inserted and removed even when attached to the cover section 100. Therefore, even if the presence or absence of the attachment of the IC card reader 61 has changed, the appearance of the sheet material 36a can be easily changed by turning the sheet material 36a over with respect to the transparent storage member 36c and reinserting it.

[0075] Fig. 15 is a top view of the transparent storage member 36c and the sheet material 36a attached to the cover unit 100. Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 15, and Fig. 17 is an enlarged view of the V1 portion in Fig. 16. The transparent storage member 36c is attached to the cover unit 100 with double-sided tape 36a3, and a gap is formed between the transparent storage member 36c and the cover unit 100 in the Z-axis direction, into which the sheet material 36a can be inserted.

[0076] In addition, in order to make the work easier, a cutout portion 36d is provided in the transparent storage member 36c, so that the sheet material 36a attached between the transparent storage member 36c and the cover portion 100 can be easily accessed.

[0077] In this embodiment, a configuration is disclosed in which the sheet material 36a is attached to the cover portion 100 via the transparent storage member 36c attached to the cover portion 100, but the method of attaching the sheet material 36a to the cover portion 100 is not limited to this and other methods may be used.

[0078] (Modification) The embodiment described so far has been a mounting method using a transparent storage member 36c of a reversible sheet material 36a with no printing on one side and a touch mark printed on the reverse side. The modified example described from here will explain a configuration in which the sheet material 36a is directly mounted on the cover part 100 without using an additional member such as the transparent storage member 36c. Note that the parts denoted by the same reference numerals as in the embodiment described above have substantially the same configuration, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] Fig. 18 is a diagram for explaining the resin member 36e and the cover part 100 of this modified example. The sheet material 36a in the first embodiment is a transparent member with no printing and a touch mark printed on both sides, but the sheet material 36a in this modified example is a resin member 36e with no printing on one side and a touch mark printed on the other side. Since this resin member 36e is a part that also serves as an exterior cover, the resin material itself is not transparent. Therefore, it has multiple fine holes 36e1 as shown in Fig. 19 so that the lamp of the IC card reader can be seen.

[0080] Fig. 20 is a perspective view illustrating how the resin member 36e is attached to the cover part 100. The cover part 100 has an entrance opening through which the resin member 36e can be inserted, and the resin member 36e can be attached to the cover part 100 by inserting the resin member 36e from the direction of the arrow in Fig. 20.

[0081] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a shape that allows the resin member 36e to be inserted into the cover part 100. FIG. 21(a) shows a BB cross-sectional view in FIG. 20 when the resin member 36e is not attached to the cover part 100, and FIG. 21(b) shows a BB cross-sectional view in FIG. 20 when the resin member 36e is attached to the cover part 100. The cover part 100 is provided with a rail part 100a that holds at least one side of the resin member 36e. The rail part has a concave cross-section and is provided along the longitudinal direction of the resin member 36e, so that the resin member 36e can be slid and inserted. Therefore, by sliding and inserting the resin member 36e along the rail part 100a, the resin member 36e can be attached to the cover part 100, and the front and back of the resin member 36e can be easily switched depending on whether an IC card reader is attached or not.

[0082] 22 is a perspective view showing a state in which the resin member 36e is attached to the cover portion 100. The resin member 36e has a screw fixing portion 36e2, and the resin member 36e can be fixed to the cover portion 100 using a screw. In this embodiment, the resin member 36e, which can be slidably inserted into the cover portion 100, is fixed to the cover portion 100 using a screw. However, as long as the resin member 36e is fixed to the cover portion 100, it may be fixed by another method without using a screw. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1. Image forming device 100 Cover part 100a Rail section 11 Control section 21 Authentication device housing 31a 1st page 31b 2nd side 34 Placement section 36a Transparent member 36a21 Touch Mark 36a22 Opaque area 36a3 double-sided tape 36b1~36b8 hole 36c Transparent storage material 61 IC card reader

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, an IC card reader attachment section to which an IC card reader for reading information contained in an IC card can be attached; a sheet having a mark on a first surface thereof as a guide for holding an IC card thereover and no mark on a second surface thereof; a storage member capable of storing the sheet, the storage member allowing at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the stored sheet to be visually recognized; Equipped with the storage member is attached to the IC card reader attachment portion in a state in which at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the stored sheet is visible from outside the image forming apparatus.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. the IC card reader includes a light emitting unit that lights up based on an operating state of the IC card reader; The sheet has a transmission portion that transmits light emitted by the light emitting portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. the housing member is capable of seeing through either the first surface or the second surface of the housed IC card reader; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

4. a coating material that suppresses the mark provided on the first surface from being transmitted to the second surface of the sheet; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

5. The IC card reader attachment portion has a mounting portion on which the IC card reader can be mounted, and a cover that covers the IC card reader mounted on the mounting portion.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

6. a display unit capable of displaying information related to image formation; Equipped with the placement section is located to the right of the display section when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

7. The thickness of the sheet is smaller than the thickness of the cover.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

8. The IC card reader is placed on the placement section via a sponge.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5,

9. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, a sheet having a mark on a first surface thereof as a guide for holding an IC card thereover and no mark on a second surface thereof; an IC card reader attachment section to which an IC card reader for reading information contained in the IC card can be attached, the IC card reader attachment section having a rail section for holding at least one side of the sheet; the sheet is inserted into the IC card reader attachment portion in a direction along the rail portion, and is attached to the IC card reader attachment portion in a state in which at least one of the first surface and the second surface is visible from outside the image forming apparatus.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

10. the IC card reader includes a light emitting unit that lights up based on an operating state of the IC card reader; The sheet has a transmission portion that transmits light emitted by the light emitting portion.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

11. a coating material that suppresses the mark provided on the first surface from being transmitted to the second surface of the sheet; 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

Images