Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To solve the problem in which: a cover may cause trouble in a medium support part or a medium.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a scanner unit that reads a document; a scanner cover that covers the scanner unit; a printing section that performs printing on a medium; a paper support on which the medium is placed; an automatic paper feeder that conveys the medium placed on the paper support to the printing section; a cover that can cover the automatic paper feeder to be flush with the scanner cover; and a hinge part that can rotate the cover about a side closer to a rotation shaft of the scanner cover. The hinge part is lifted up along with an opening operation to rotate the cover by a predetermined angle, and a projection at one end of the cover is engaged with and held in a recess formed in the scanner unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known an image forming apparatus in which, when the scanner unit is opened, a cover that covers a pickup roller and the like as an automatic paper feed unit moves while touching the paper feed tray or the surface of the medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-16050 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the image forming apparatus described above, the cover comes into contact with the medium support unit or the medium, which may result in a malfunction of the medium support unit or the medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The image forming device comprises a scanner unit that reads a document, a printing unit that prints on a medium, a scanner cover that covers the scanner unit, a paper support on which the medium is placed, an automatic paper feeder unit that transports the medium placed on the paper support to the printing unit, a cover that can cover the automatic paper feeder unit so that it is on the same level as the scanner cover, and a hinge unit that can rotate the cover around the side closer to the rotation axis of the scanner cover, and when the cover is opened by rotating it a predetermined angle, the hinge unit rises and a protrusion on one end of the cover engages and is held in a recess formed in the scanner unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus as viewed obliquely from behind. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the image forming apparatus when the medium support unit is pulled out and the cover is open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing the cover and the hinge portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view mainly showing a portion where the cover engages with the recess. [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 5 when the cover is engaged with the recessed portion. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 6 with the document cover open. [Figure 8] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 6 with a scanner unit opened. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The directions in the drawings will be described using a three-dimensional coordinate system. For convenience of explanation, the positive direction of the Z axis will be referred to as the upward direction, upward, or simply upward, the negative direction will be referred to as the downward direction, downward, or simply downward, the positive direction of the X axis will be referred to as the rightward direction, rightward, or simply right, the negative direction will be referred to as the leftward direction, leftward, or simply left, the positive direction of the Y axis will be referred to as the forward direction, forward, or simply forward, and the negative direction will be referred to as the backward direction, backward, or simply backward. The downward direction is also the direction of gravity.

[0008] 1. Configuration of image forming device As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a scanner section 4 which is a scanner unit, a printing section 7 which is a printer unit, and an automatic sheet feeder 8 which is an automatic sheet feeder. The printing unit 7 is housed in the case 5. The document cover 3, which is a scanner cover, is capable of covering the scanner unit 4. The document cover 3 is attached to the scanner unit 4 so as to be openable and closable. The scanner unit 4 is attached to the case 5 so as to be openable and closable. The cover 2 is capable of covering the automatic paper feeder 8. The document cover 3 and the cover 2 are mounted on the scanner unit 4 so as to be openable and closable. When the cover 2 and the document cover 3 are closed, the cover 2 is configured to be flush with the document cover 3.

[0009] When scanning a document (not shown), a user opens the document cover 3 and places the document on a document table (not shown) of the scanner unit 4 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the user opens the cover 2 to expose the automatic paper feeder 8, and pulls out the medium support unit 6, which is a paper support, from the case 5 to place the medium on it. As described below, the cover 2 can be opened up to 180 degrees counterclockwise from the closed position. The automatic paper feeder 8 has a pickup roller and a separation roller (both not shown). The automatic paper feeder 8 can transport multiple media placed on the medium support unit 6 to the printing unit 7 one sheet at a time. The document is a sheet of a predetermined size, and the document table is made of a glass plate or the like so as to transmit light.

[0010] 2, the cover 2 can be rotated by hinges 10 provided in the left and right directions, which is the width direction of the document. A first end 2b and a second end 2c of the cover 2, which will be described later, are also provided at positions corresponding to the hinges 10. The hinge portion 10 and the first end 2b and the second end 2c of the cover 2 may be provided in a single piece, or may be provided in a plurality of pieces at positions spaced apart in the width direction of the document.

[0011] The scanner unit 4 has an image sensor (not shown) of a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type, etc. The scanner unit 4 can read an original placed on a platen with the image sensor and generate image data. The printing unit 7 has, for example, an inkjet head (not shown) and is capable of printing on a medium. The medium is, for example, plain paper, glossy paper, matte paper, photo paper, film, etc. of a predetermined size. The image forming apparatus 1 can have other functions such as copying and faxing, in addition to a scanner function provided by the scanner unit 4 and a printer function provided by the printing unit 7. Such an image forming apparatus 1 is also called a multifunction machine.

[0012] The hinge units 10 provided on the left and right sides of the image forming apparatus 1 have the same configuration. In Fig. 3, one of the hinge units 10 is shown. The hinge portion 10 rotatably supports the cover 2. Specifically, a shaft 10a of the hinge portion 10 fits into a shaft hole 2a provided in the cover 2. Note that Fig. 3 shows a state in which the user opens the cover 2 counterclockwise from a closed state, before the cover 2 reaches an angle θ described below.

[0013] The scanner unit 4 has a first support portion 51 and a second support portion 52 described later. The first support portion 51 and the second support portion 52 may be configured as part of a housing that constitutes the scanner unit 4. The first support portion 51 has an attachment portion 51b for attaching the elastic member 9, a cylindrical guide portion 51c for guiding the elastic member 9 so that it can move in the vertical direction, and a first engagement portion 51a that slidably engages with the first end portion 2b of the cover 2.

[0014] 3 shows an example of the elastic member 9 being a compression coil spring, which is one type of compression spring, but other types of springs or rubber may also be used. The upper end of the elastic member 9 is attached and fixed to the attachment portion 51b of the first support portion 51. The lower end of the elastic member 9 abuts against the abutment portion 10b of the hinge portion 10, and can press the hinge portion 10 downward with a pressing force F. In this way, the hinge portion 10 is configured with the elastic member 9 that pulls in the direction of gravity. The lower end of the elastic member 9 is movable in the vertical direction along the guide portion 51c. The hinge portion 10 is movable in the vertical direction by the elastic member 9. The first support portion 51 supports the hinge portion 10 so that the hinge portion 10 is movable in the vertical direction. As the hinge portion 10 moves in the vertical direction, the shaft 10a also moves in the vertical direction.

[0015] The cover 2 is connected to a shaft 10a of the hinge portion 10. Due to a pressing force F from the elastic member 9, the shaft 10a of the hinge portion 10 attempts to move downward, and the cover 2 is pulled downward. A first end 2b, which is the front lower end of the cover 2, slidably engages with a first engagement portion 51a of the first support portion 51. On the other hand, there is nothing to restrict the rear upper end of the cover 2. As a result, the cover 2 can rotate using the first end 2b as a fulcrum in addition to the shaft hole 2a. When the cover 2 is pulled downward by the shaft 10a of the hinge portion 10, the cover 2 moves downward and attempts to rotate clockwise with the first end portion 2b as a fulcrum. At the same time, the cover 2 rotates around the shaft hole 2a.

[0016] In this manner, the cover 2 tries to rotate clockwise due to the pressing force F of the elastic member 9 via the hinge portion 10. That is, the pressing force F acts so as to close the cover 2. When the user releases his / her hand in this state, cover 2 closes. Since cover 2 closes when the user releases his / her hand, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from entering automatic paper feeder 8, and it is convenient for the user when finishing using automatic paper feeder 8.

[0017] When using automatic sheet feeder 8, the user opens cover 2 counterclockwise by 180 degrees from the closed position as described below. At this time, the first end 2b of the cover 2 is released from the first engagement portion 51a of the first support portion 51. Then, the pressing force F of the elastic member 9 via the hinge portion 10 is no longer applied to the cover 2. In other words, the pressing force F does not act to close the cover 2. Therefore, the cover 2 does not attempt to rotate clockwise with the first end 2b as a fulcrum.

[0018] Fig. 4 shows a cross section of the hinge unit 10, cover 2, etc., at a position slightly shifted to the left or right with respect to Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, the second support unit 52 of the scanner unit 4 is located, not the first support unit 51 shown in Fig. 3. Similarly, in Fig. 4, the lower front end of the cover 2 is located at the second end unit 2c, not the first end unit 2b. The second support section 52 has a recess 52b recessed downward from a flat surface 52c, and the recess 52b has a slope 52a facing upward and forward.

[0019] On the other hand, the cover 2 has a second end 2c which is a protrusion. The protruding second end 2c is a so-called stopper. The second end 2c of the cover 2 is engageable with the inclined surface 52a of the recess 52b of the second support portion 52. In the following, the engagement of the second end 2c of the cover 2 with the slope 52a of the recess 52b of the second support part 52 is also referred to as the second end 2c of the cover 2 engaging with the recess 52b of the second support part 52, or the cover 2 engaging with the second support part 52.

[0020] As described above, the cover 2 is closed by the downward pressing force F acting on the elastic member 9 via the hinge portion 10. When the cover 2 is closed, the second end 2c of the cover 2 is in contact with the flat surface 52c of the second support portion 52 by the downward pressing force F, and the cover 2 is held horizontally. The flat surface 52c of the second support portion 52 and the surface of the cover 2 are parallel to each other. Next, the user opens the cover 2 against the pressing force F of the elastic member 9 via the hinge portion 10. As described above, the cover 2 opens by rotating counterclockwise around the shaft hole 2a and the first end portion 2b. At this time, the second end 2c, which is the front lower end of the cover 2, moves rearward while sliding on the flat surface 52c of the second support part 52. Meanwhile, the rear upper end of the cover 2 moves upward while rotating counterclockwise. The hinge part 10, which is connected to the cover 2 by the shaft 10a, is also pulled upward and rises.

[0021] Furthermore, as the user opens the cover 2, the second end 2c of the cover 2 rotates counterclockwise and slides from the flat surface 52c of the second support portion 52 to the inclined surface 52a of the recess 52b. The second end 2c of the cover 2 moves slightly downward so as to fall into the recess 52b of the second support part 52. At this time, the hinge part 10 connected to the cover 2 also moves slightly downward. As shown in FIG. 4, the second end 2c of the cover 2 is in a state of being engaged with the inclined surface 52a of the recess 52b of the second support portion 52.

[0022] Even if the user releases the cover 2, the cover 2 can be maintained in this state. That is, the cover 2 engages with the second support portion 52 and is locked so as not to rotate clockwise and close due to the pressing force F. At this time, the cover is in an open state at an angle θ with respect to the closed state. The recess 52b is formed in a mortar shape, so that it can easily engage with the second end 2c of the cover 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the hinge portion 10 and the second end 2c of the cover 2 can be arranged at multiple positions spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the document. This allows the cover 2 to engage with the second support portion 52 more stably.

[0023] As described above, the cover 2 tries to rotate clockwise due to the pressing force F of the elastic member 9. Meanwhile, since the second end 2c of the cover 2 engages with the recess 52b of the second support part 52, the cover 2 is temporarily locked so as not to rotate further clockwise. As a result, the cover 2 is held in a position forming an angle θ with respect to the flat surface 52c of the second support portion 52 as well.

[0024] That is, when the user rotates the cover 2 to a predetermined angle θ to open the cover, the hinge portion 10 rises and the second end portion 2c, which is a protrusion at one end of the cover 2, engages and is held in the recess 52b formed in the second support portion 52 of the scanner portion 4. In this way, cover 2 is held in a position at angle θ, which improves ease of use when a user uses automatic sheet feeder 8. In addition, such a simple configuration does not require additional parts, making it possible to keep costs low.

[0025] The plane 52c of the second support portion 52 is parallel to the planes extending in the front, rear, left and right directions of the cover, the document cover 3, and the scanner unit 4, all of which are in the closed state. Therefore, at this time, the cover 2 also forms an angle θ with respect to the planes of the document cover 3 and the scanner unit 4, which serves as the document table. In other words, the cover 2 is held in a state in which it is engaged at the angle θ with respect to the planes of the document cover 3 and the scanner unit 4. The angle θ is an acute angle, and is preferably equal to or greater than 60 degrees and equal to or less than 85 degrees, and more preferably equal to 80 degrees.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 5, when a user uses automatic sheet feeder 8, it is preferable to open cover 2 further 180 degrees from the state in which cover 2 is held at angle θ shown in Fig. 4 to expose automatic sheet feeder 8. In other words, when cover 2 is held at angle θ, if the user applies a certain amount of force, cover 2 can be rotated further up to 180 degrees. As described above, at this time, the first end 2b of the cover 2 is disengaged from the first engagement portion 51a of the first support portion 51. Therefore, the pressing force F from the elastic member 9 is not applied to the cover 2. The cover 2 does not attempt to rotate clockwise with the first end 2b as a fulcrum. The cover 2 can be maintained in a 180 degree open state. It is easy for the user to set the medium on the medium support portion 6. The medium placed on the medium support portion 6 is smoothly transported by the automatic paper feeder 8, which is fully exposed.

[0027] Next, as shown in Fig. 6, conversely, assume that the user gradually closes the cover 2 from the state in which the cover 2 is opened 180 degrees as shown in Fig. 5. Then, as described with reference to Fig. 4, the second end 2c of the cover 2 is temporarily locked at the point where it engages with the recess 52b of the second support portion 52. 6, the cover 2 is held in a state where it is engaged at an angle θ with respect to the surfaces of the document cover 3 and the scanner unit 4. Even with the cover 2 in this state, there is enough space between the cover 2 and the medium support unit 6 to allow the user to set a medium on the medium support unit 6. In addition, the automatic paper feeder 8 is exposed enough to be usable.

[0028] At this time, the cover 2 does not come into contact with the medium support unit 6 or the medium placed on the medium support unit 6. The medium placed on the medium support unit 6 does not leave scratches due to contact with the cover 2, and paper jams do not occur when the medium is fed to the automatic paper feeder 8. The cover 2 does not collide with the medium support unit 6 and is not damaged. The medium placed on the medium support unit 6 is smoothly transported by the automatic paper feeder 8 without these problems.

[0029] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, assume that the user opens the document cover 3 without using the automatic paper feeder 8 while the cover 2 is open as shown in FIG. 5, and places a document on the scanner unit 4 to scan. Suppose that a user is about to place a document on the scanner unit 4 and opens the document cover 3. The document cover 3 has a document cover hinge 3a, which is the rotation axis of the document cover 3, located at the rear. The document cover 3 rotates clockwise around the document cover hinge 3a. Then, the cover 2 comes into contact with the document cover 3 and is pushed thereby, and both of them rotate clockwise. Then, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the second end 2c of the cover 2 is temporarily locked when it engages with the recess 52b of the second support portion 52.

[0030] At this time, the cover 2 is locked in an open state at an angle θ as shown in Fig. 7. The cover 2 is also held in a locked state at the angle θ with respect to the surface of the scanner unit 4. The cover 2 is configured to be rotatable around the side closer to the document cover hinge 3a by a hinge unit 10. In addition, in FIG.

[0031] Even if cover 2 is pushed by manuscript cover 3, it is temporarily held in the open state at angle θ. In other words, cover 2 does not come into contact with medium support section 6 or the medium placed on medium support section 6. Therefore, the user does not need to close cover 2 when opening manuscript cover 3, which is convenient. Furthermore, even when the user closes the document cover 3, the position of the cover 2 is maintained at the angle θ. As described above, even when the cover 2 is in this position, the user can place a medium on the medium support unit 6 and use the automatic paper feeder 8. When the user uses the automatic paper feeder 8, there is no need to change the position of the cover 2. The medium placed on the medium support unit 6 is transported smoothly by the automatic paper feeder 8 without any malfunction.

[0032] Next, as shown in FIG. 8, assume that with cover 2 shown in FIG. 6 held at angle θ, the user opens scanner unit 4 to expose printing unit 7 and attempts to replace the ink cartridge. The user opens the scanner unit 4 to expose the printing unit 7. The scanner unit 4 rotates around the scanner unit hinge 4a, which is the rotation axis of the scanner unit 4 located at the rear. The scanner unit 4 rotates clockwise by a predetermined angle. Then, the document cover 3 and the cover 2 mounted on the scanner unit 4 also rotate clockwise.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 8, the cover 2 rotates together with the document cover 3 and the scanner unit 4 while being held at an angle θ with respect to the surfaces of the document cover 3 and the scanner unit 4. At this time, the cover 2 does not come into contact with the medium support unit 6 or the medium placed on the medium support unit 6. In other words, even when the scanner unit 4 rotates, the cover 2 does not come into contact with the medium support unit 6. The user does not need to close the cover 2 when opening the scanner unit 4, which is convenient to use. Furthermore, even when the user closes scanner unit 4, cover 2 is held in the position at angle θ. As described above, even when cover 2 is in this position, the user can place a medium on medium support unit 6 and use automatic paper feeder unit 8. The next time the user uses automatic paper feeder unit 8, there is no need to change the position of cover 2. The medium placed on medium support unit 6 is transported smoothly by automatic paper feeder unit 8 without any malfunction.

[0034] As described above, the image forming device 1 comprises a scanner unit 4 that reads a document, a document cover 3 that covers the scanner unit 4, a medium support unit 6 on which a medium is placed, an automatic paper feeder unit 8 that transports the medium placed on the medium support unit 6 to the scanner unit 4, a cover 2 that covers the automatic paper feeder unit 8 so that it is on the same level as the document cover 3, and a hinge unit 10 that can rotate the cover 2 around the side of the document cover 3 that is closer to the document cover hinge 3a.

[0035] As the cover 2 is opened by rotating it through a predetermined angle θ, the hinge portion 10 rises and the second end portion 2c at one end of the cover 2 engages with the recess 52b formed in the scanner portion 4, thereby holding the cover 2 in place. At this time, the cover 2 does not come into contact with the medium support unit 6 or the medium placed on the medium support unit 6. The medium placed on the medium support unit 6 is smoothly transported by the automatic paper feeder 8 without causing any malfunction.

[0036] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and may be changed, replaced, deleted, etc. without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0037] In the above, an example of an inkjet type head has been described as the printing unit 7. The head of the printing unit 7 may be a type other than the inkjet type, and may be a laser type, a thermal type, or the like. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be in a form not including the printing unit 7. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 does not have a printer function, but has a scanner function by the scanner unit 4.

[0038] In the above description, the first support portion 51 and the second support portion 52 are provided in the scanner portion 4. The first support portion 51 and the second support portion 52 may be configured as part of a housing that constitutes the case 5. In the above description, the second end 2c of the cover 2 is configured to engage with one recess 52b formed in the second support portion 52. A plurality of recesses 52b may be formed in the second support portion 52 so as to engage with the second end 2c of the cover 2. The cover 2 can also be held at other angles other than the angle θ. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 1...image forming apparatus, 2...cover, 2a...shaft hole, 2b...first end, 2c...second end, 3...original cover, 3a...original cover hinge, 4...scanner section, 4a...scanner section hinge, 5...case, 6...medium support section, 8...automatic paper feed section, 9...elastic member, 10...hinge section, 10a...shaft, 10b...contact section, 51...first support section, 51a...first engagement section, 51b...mounting section, 51c...guide section, 52...second support section, 52a...inclined surface, 52b...recess, 52c...flat surface, θ...angle.

Claims

1. A scanner unit that reads the document; a scanner cover for covering the scanner unit; A printing unit that prints on the medium; a paper support on which the medium rests; an automatic paper feed unit that transports the medium placed on the paper support to the printing unit; a cover capable of covering the automatic paper feeder so as to be flush with the scanner cover; a hinge portion that can rotate the cover around a side of the scanner cover that is closer to a rotation axis, In an image forming apparatus, when the cover is opened by rotating the cover by a predetermined angle, the hinge portion rises and a protrusion portion on one end of the cover engages with and is held in a recess formed in the scanner unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recess is formed in a cone shape.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge portion and the protrusion portion are arranged at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the document.

4. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is an acute angle.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hinge portion is configured together with a compression spring that pulls in the direction of gravity.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is held in an open state even when the scanner cover rotates and comes into contact with the cover.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover does not come into contact with the paper support even when the scanner unit rotates.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover is further rotatable up to 180 degrees when a force equal to or greater than a certain level is applied to the cover.

Images