Opening and closing mechanism and device equipped with the opening and closing mechanism

Abstract

To provide an opening and closing mechanism capable of closing an opening and closing body that is opened and closed so as to cover and expose part of a main body without stopping the opening and closing body before it reaches a normal closing position.SOLUTION: An opening and closing mechanism includes: a first inclined section arranged in an opening and closing body opening and closing with a first shaft as a fulcrum in a main body; a second inclined section arranged in the opening and closing body; and a rocking section for rocking between the first inclined section and the second inclined section with a second shaft arranged in the main body as a fulcrum. In operation of closing the opening and closing body, after force is applied in a direction of opening the opening and closing body in contact with the second inclined section, the rocking section comes into contact with the first inclined section to apply force in a direction of closing the opening and closing body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an opening and closing mechanism and a device equipped with the opening and closing mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes an opening and closing mechanism for a housing that includes an opening and closing section that is openable and closable relative to the housing main body, and at least two engaging sections that are provided on the housing main body and the opening and closing section, respectively, and that engage with each other to hold the opening and closing section in a closed state relative to the housing main body. Patent Document 1 also describes that, with regard to the opening and closing mechanism, when the housing body and the opening and closing part are in an equilibrium position at the first engagement part, the opening and closing behavior of the opening and closing part follows the behavior of the second engagement part of the two engagement parts. Patent Document 1 further describes that, with regard to the opening and closing mechanism, the second engagement part is provided with an extrusion region that pushes the opening and closing part out of the housing body and a retraction region that is provided with a boundary part between the extrusion region and the retraction region that retracts the opening and closing part into the housing body, based on the positional relationship between the housing body and the opening and closing part.

[0003] The following Patent Document 2 describes an image forming device having an image forming device main body, an opening / closing member that can be opened and closed relative to the device main body, a locking mechanism that is provided on the device main body and has a rotatable locking member and a biasing member that biases the locking member, thereby locking the opening / closing member in a locked position, and an engaging member that is provided on the opening / closing member and engages with the locking member.

[0004] Patent Document 3 listed below describes a door opening and closing device for a refrigerator that includes a door that is supported so as to be able to open and close, a retracting member provided on the door, and a door opening and closing means that can be brought into contact with and separated from the retracting member. Patent document 3 also describes that the door opening / closing means has a door opening member that moves the door in the opening direction via a retracting member when the motor rotates forward, a door closing member that moves the door in the closing direction via a retracting member when the motor rotates backward, and a torque limiting means that limits torque in the driving force transmission path between the motor and the door closing member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-137110 A (claims 1, 2, figures 4 and 10) [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6335950 (Claim 1, Figures 5 and 8) [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 4143568 (Claim 1, Figures 3-5) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] To provide an opening / closing mechanism and a device equipped with the same, which can close an opening / closing body that opens and closes to cover and expose part of a main body without stopping before reaching the normal closed position when closing the opening / closing body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The opening and closing mechanism of the present invention (1) is a first inclined portion disposed on an opening / closing body that opens and closes around a first axis in the main body; A second inclined portion disposed on the opening / closing body; a swinging portion that swings between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion around a second shaft that is disposed on the main body as a fulcrum; Equipped with the second inclined portion is disposed so as to be closer to the first axis than the first inclined portion, The opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that, during the operation of closing the opening / closing body, the swinging portion contacts the second inclined portion to apply a force in the direction of opening the opening / closing body, and then contacts the first inclined portion to apply a force in the direction of closing the opening / closing body.

[0008] The present invention (2) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (1), the first inclined portion has a portion that is present on a side facing the first axis and inclined obliquely downward, The second inclined portion is an opening / closing mechanism characterized in that it has a portion that is away from the first inclined portion toward the first axis and that is located on the side facing the first inclined portion and inclined diagonally downward.

[0009] The present invention (3) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (1) or (2), the swinging portion includes a first mounting portion provided on the main body, a second mounting portion provided at a position farther from the first mounting portion than the second axis of the swinging portion, and a tension applying member attached so as to apply tension between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, The opening and closing mechanism is characterized in that the oscillating portion is switched to either the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion and oscillates under the tensioned state when the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion comes into contact with each other during the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing body.

[0010] The present invention (4) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (2), The inclined portion of the first inclined portion is an opening / closing mechanism having a closing portion with which the swinging portion continues to come into contact when swinging toward the first inclined portion during the closing operation of the opening / closing body.

[0011] The present invention (5) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (4), The opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that the swinging portion keeps the opening / closing body in a closed state while remaining in contact with the closing portion.

[0012] The present invention (6) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (4), The closing portion is an opening / closing mechanism characterized in that it functions as a part that starts to swing the oscillating portion in contact with the closing portion toward the second inclined portion when the opening / closing body begins to open.

[0013] The present invention (7) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (2), This is an opening / closing mechanism characterized in that the inclined portion of the second inclined portion has an opening portion that the swinging portion first comes into contact with when it begins to swing toward the second inclined portion during the operation of opening the opening / closing body.

[0014] The present invention (8) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (7), the inclined portion of the second inclined portion has a push-up portion provided continuously from the downstream end of the opening portion in the closing direction, The opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that when the opening / closing body begins to close, the pushing-up portion comes into contact with the swinging portion, which is swinging toward the second inclined portion, and moves the swinging portion so that it swings toward the first inclined portion.

[0015] This invention (9) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (3), This opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that the main body is provided with a swing regulating section having a first stop section that comes into contact with the swinging section when the swinging section is swung toward the first inclined section to stop the swing, and a second stop section that comes into contact with the swinging section when the swinging section is swung toward the second inclined section to stop the swing.

[0016] The present invention (10) is an opening and closing mechanism according to any one of the above inventions (1) to (9), The opening / closing mechanism is characterized in that the swinging portion is in a visible state when the opening / closing body is open. This invention (11) is the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (10), characterized in that the swinging part can be manually swung when the opening and closing body is open.

[0017] This invention (12) is the above invention (2) , (4) to (8) In any one of the opening and closing mechanisms, the first inclined portion has an abnormality release portion provided adjacent to an end portion on the downstream side in the closing direction of the inclined portion, The abnormality release part is an opening / closing mechanism characterized by contacting the swinging part, which is swinging toward the first inclined part, and moving the swinging part to swing toward the second inclined part when closing the opening / closing body.

[0018] In addition, the device equipped with the opening and closing mechanism of this invention (13) is The main body and One or more opening / closing bodies attached to the main body in an openable / closable manner; An opening / closing mechanism according to any one of the above inventions (1) to (12) provided in the main body and at least one of the opening / closing bodies; The device is provided with an opening and closing mechanism. This invention (14) is a device equipped with the opening and closing mechanism of the invention (13), The main body is a device equipped with an opening / closing mechanism, characterized in that an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording medium is disposed therein. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (1), the opening and closing body that opens and closes to cover and expose a part of the main body can be closed without stopping before reaching the normal closed position.

[0020] According to the above invention (2), it is easier to apply the required force when the oscillating part contacts the first inclined part and the second inclined part, compared to when the first inclined part and the second inclined part do not have the inclined parts. According to the above invention (3), the oscillating portion can be configured more simply than when the oscillating portion is not configured to oscillate by switching to either the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion under the application of tension from the tension-applying member when the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion comes into contact during the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing body.

[0021] According to the above aspect (4), the first inclined portion can continue to receive a force from the swinging portion in the direction of closing the opening-closing body, compared to when the inclined portion of the first inclined portion does not have a closing portion.

[0022] According to the above invention (5), the opening / closing body can be closed in a state where it is less likely to rattle, compared to when the opening / closing body is kept closed without the swinging part coming into contact with the closing portion. According to the above invention (6), the opening and closing body can be opened more smoothly than when the closing portion does not function as a part that starts to swing the swinging portion in contact with the closing portion toward the second inclined portion when the opening and closing body begins to be opened.

[0023] According to the above invention (7), the first inclined portion can reliably receive the force from the swinging portion in the direction to open the opening-closing body, compared to when the inclined portion of the second inclined portion does not have an opening portion. According to the above invention (8), the closing operation of the opening / closing body can be performed more smoothly than when the inclined portion of the second inclined portion does not have a push-up portion.

[0024] According to the above aspect (9), the swinging portion can be swung within a required range, compared to when the swinging restricting portion is not provided on the main body.

[0025] According to the above invention (10), the state of the swinging part can be easily confirmed compared to when the swinging part is not visible when the opening / closing body is open. According to the above invention (11), the swinging part can be manually corrected when it is in an abnormal state, compared to when the swinging part is not manually swingable when the opening / closing body is open.

[0026] According to the above invention (12), compared to when the first inclined portion does not have an abnormality release portion, the swinging portion when in an abnormal state can be easily corrected without requiring any special operation during the process of closing the opening / closing body.

[0027] According to the device equipped with the opening and closing mechanism of the above invention (13), the opening and closing body provided with the opening and closing mechanism can be closed without being stopped before reaching the normal closed position. According to the above aspect (14), the opening / closing body can be closed without being stopped before reaching the normal closed position, and there is no risk of interfering with the operation of the image forming unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1A is a perspective view of a device equipped with an opening / closing mechanism according to a first embodiment with the opening / closing cover closed, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1A with the opening / closing cover open. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 with the opening / closing cover open. [Figure 3] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1 with the opening / closing cover closed. [Figure 4] 1A is a perspective view of the opening / closing mechanism from the diagonal right side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the opening / closing device from the diagonal left side. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a right side view of a first structure having a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is a front view of a second structure having a swinging part of an opening / closing mechanism, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the swinging part. [Figure 7] (A) is a front view of the swinging part when the opening / closing cover is open, (B) is a front view of the swinging part when the opening / closing cover is in the middle of opening or closing, and (C) is a front view of the swinging part when the opening / closing cover is closed. [Figure 8] 1A is a right side view of the opening / closing mechanism at the start or end of engagement, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the swinging part including a cross section along line BB of the first inclined part and the second inclined part of FIG. [Figure 9] 1A is a right side view of the opening / closing mechanism in the middle of engagement, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the swinging part including a cross section along line BB of the first inclined part and the second inclined part of FIG. [Figure 10] 10A is a right side view of the opening / closing mechanism when engagement is complete, and FIG. 10B is a front view of the swinging part including a cross section along line BB of the first inclined part and the second inclined part of FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram of an opening / closing mechanism in which a swinging part is abnormal when the opening / closing cover is closed. FIG. [Figure 12]12A is a front view of the oscillating part in the abnormal state of FIG. 11, and FIG. 12B is a schematic view of the oscillating part after the oscillating part in the abnormal state of FIG. 11 has been manually dealt with. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view of the opening and closing mechanism according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 14 is a schematic side view of a first structure in the opening and closing mechanism of FIG. 13. FIG. [Figure 15] 14A is a schematic front view of the opening / closing mechanism of FIG. 13 when the opening / closing cover is closed, and FIG. 14B is a schematic front view of the opening / closing mechanism of FIG. 13 when an abnormality is resolved. [Figure 16] 10A is a perspective view of a device equipped with an opening / closing mechanism according to a third embodiment with the opening / closing cover closed, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 10A with the opening / closing cover open. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic front view of the device of FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] First embodiment. FIG. 1 shows an opening / closing mechanism 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. (A) Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device 100A with the opening / closing cover open. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device 100A with the opening / closing cover closed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the opening / closing mechanism 1A employed in the device 100A.

[0031] <Device equipped with opening and closing mechanism> Opening and closing mechanism 1 (A) As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100A includes a housing 10A, which is an example of a main body. The housing 10A has a required external shape and is covered on the outside with an exterior cover 11. Furthermore, the housing 10A has a plurality of functional units 102A, 102B arranged inside it, etc., for performing the required functions of the device 100A. The functional units 102A, 102B are not limited to an image forming unit or a medium supply unit, which will be exemplified later, but may also include other units with any desired function in various fields. Therefore, the device 100A can be configured as any type of device.

[0032] 1, device 100A is configured such that parts of exterior cover 11 are configured as opening / closing covers 12A and 12B, which are an example of an opening / closing body that opens and closes to cover and expose part of device 100A. Device 100A may also be provided with opening / closing covers other than opening / closing covers 12A and 12B.

[0033] The opening / closing cover 12A is, for example, a rectangular cover that constitutes part of the exterior cover 11a that is arranged on the front side of the device 100A. As shown in Figures 2 to 5, this opening / closing cover 12A is a so-called vertical-opening opening / closing cover, whose lower end is supported by a hinge 13 so as to be able to open and close, and which rotates at a predetermined angle in the directions Da1 and Da2 indicated by the arrows around the support axis 13a of the hinge 13 as a fulcrum to open and close.

[0034] Support shaft 13a is an example of a first shaft, and is an axis that is long in a direction perpendicular to directions Da1, Da2 in which opening / closing cover 12A is opened and closed. Support shaft 13a in the first embodiment is a cylindrical axis that is long in a direction perpendicular to the left and right directions Da1, Da2 in which opening / closing cover 12A is opened and closed. 1(B) denotes an opening / closing portion when the opening / closing cover 12A is opened and closed on the main body 10A. In the first embodiment, the support shaft 13a of the hinge 13 is provided in a part (opening / closing portion 14) of the main body 10A, and the bearing portion 13b of the hinge 13 is provided in the opening / closing cover 12A.

[0035] The opening / closing cover 12B is a rectangular cover that constitutes a part of the exterior cover 11b that is disposed on the right side of the device 100A, for example. This opening / closing cover 12B is a so-called side-opening opening / closing cover, whose front side end is supported by a hinge 13 so as to be able to open and close, and which rotates at a predetermined angle in the directions indicated by arrows Db1 and Db2 with the axis of the hinge 13 as a fulcrum to open and close. Reference numerals 15a and 15b shown in FIG. 1 denote recesses or handles for guiding the operator's hand to the handle when opening the opening / closing cover 12A and the opening / closing cover 12B, respectively.

[0036] Furthermore, device 100A is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 1A, which will be described later, that mainly engages (hooks) one (single) opening / closing cover 12A when closing it. The remaining opening / closing cover 12B and other opening / closing covers (not shown) are provided with opening / closing mechanisms having different configurations from the opening / closing mechanism 1, but may be provided with the opening / closing mechanism 1A in the same manner.

[0037] <Opening and closing mechanism> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the opening / closing mechanism 1A includes a first structure 2A having a first inclined portion 3A and a second inclined portion 4A arranged on the opening / closing cover 12A, and a second structure 5A arranged on the main body 10A and having a swinging portion 6A that engages with the first structure 2A when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed.

[0038] The first structure 2A is attached to a required position on the back surface (rear surface) of the opening / closing cover 12A. In the first embodiment, the first structure 2A is arranged in a position where its first inclined portion 3A and second inclined portion 4A can come into contact with and engage with the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed. Further, the second structure 5A is attached to a mounting frame 16 that is placed at a required position on the opening / closing section 14 of the main body 10A, for example. The second structure 5A in the first embodiment is placed at a position that is approximately in the center of the opening / closing section 14 from left to right and above it.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the first structure 2A is configured as a structure in which a support portion 21 is provided with a first inclined portion 3A and a second inclined portion 4A. The first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A move together in accordance with the opening and closing movement (movement with the support axis 13a, which is an example of the first axis, as the fulcrum) along the opening and closing directions Da1 and Da2 indicated by the arrows of the opening and closing cover 12A.

[0040] The first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A are portions in which inclined portions 31, 41 (described later) are formed on protruding portions 30A, 40A that protrude from the support portion 21 at positions spaced apart from each other above and below. The first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A are arranged such that the second inclined portion 4A is closer to the support shaft 13a than the first inclined portion 3A. In other words, in the first embodiment, the second inclined portion 4A is arranged such that it is lower in the up-down direction than the first inclined portion 3A.

[0041] The support portion 21 is a portion that supports the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A. In the first embodiment, the support portion 21 is configured as a vertically long rectangular plate-like portion with an upper portion bent to one side. There are no particular restrictions on the shape of the support portion 21, as long as it is capable of supporting the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A. Support portion 21 is fixedly attached to a predetermined attachment position on the rear surface of opening / closing cover 12A.

[0042] The protrusions 30A and 40A are portions that protrude downstream in the direction Da2 in which the open-close cover 12A is closed from one side of the support portion 21. In the first embodiment, the protrusions 30A and 40A are both plate-shaped and have a required thickness.

[0043] The first inclined portion 3A has a portion 31 that is present on the side (lower side) of the protruding portion 30A facing the support shaft 13a and inclined obliquely downward at a required inclination angle α. The second inclined portion 4A is located on the plate-shaped protrusion 40A, away from the first inclined portion 3A toward the axis 13a, and is on the side facing the first inclined portion 3A (upper edge), and has a portion 41 that inclines diagonally downward at the required inclination angle β.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, when a reference line Ls is a straight line that is approximately along the direction Da2 in which the opening / closing cover 12A is closed (or the horizontal direction when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed), the above-mentioned inclination angles α and β are the smaller of the angles they make with respect to the reference line Ls. 5, 8, etc., the inclined portions 31 and 41 are formed with a gap St required to ensure a clearance space Sa into which the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A can enter and swing when opening and closing the open-close cover 12A. Furthermore, the corners of the inclined portions 31 and 41 that come into contact with the swinging portion 6A (the swinging body 61) are tapered to facilitate smooth contact movement after contact.

[0045] On the other hand, the second structure 5A is configured as a structure in which a swing portion 6A and a swing control portion 7A are provided on the mounting frame 16 in the opening / closing portion 14 of the main body 10A, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, 6, etc.

[0046] The mounting frame 16 is provided with a first opening 16a that allows a portion of the protruding tip end of the first inclined portion 3A to pass through and escape when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, and a second opening 16b that allows a portion of the protruding tip end of the second inclined portion 4A to pass through and escape. Incidentally, the second structure 5A can also employ a dedicated support member instead of the mounting frame 16. In this case, the dedicated support member can be finally attached to the mounting frame 16, for example.

[0047] As shown in Figures 6 to 10, the oscillating portion 6A in the second structure 5A is a portion that oscillates between the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A, with the oscillating axis 18, which is an example of a second axis provided on the mounting frame 16 of the main body 10A, as a fulcrum so as to be able to come into contact with the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A.

[0048] As shown in Figures 8 to 10, during the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A, this swinging portion 6A comes into contact with the second inclined portion 4A to apply a force Fa in the direction Da1 to open the opening / closing cover 12A, and then comes into contact with the first inclined portion 3A to apply a force Fb in the direction Da2 to close the opening / closing cover 12A. The details of the action of the forces Fa and Fb at this time will be described later.

[0049] As shown in Figures 4, 6, 7, etc., the oscillating portion 6A in the first embodiment is configured as a structure including an oscillating body 61, a first mounting portion 65, a second mounting portion 66, and a tensioning member 67.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6 and other figures, the oscillating body 61 is made of a plate-like member that has a required thickness and extends elongatedly in one direction. Furthermore, the oscillating shaft 18, which is an example of a second shaft that oscillates and supports the oscillating body 61, is an axis that is long in a direction perpendicular to the support shaft 13a, as shown in Fig. 8(A). Specifically, the oscillating shaft 18 is an axis that extends elongatedly substantially along the direction Da2 in which the open-close cover 12A is closed. In the first embodiment, the oscillating shaft 18 is formed as a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes forward from the front surface of the mounting frame 16. As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the swinging body 61 swings around a swing axis 18 at one end 61a in the longitudinal direction as a fulcrum such that the other end 61b moves in an upward direction Ea1 or a downward direction Ea2.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6(B), the oscillating body 61 has a bearing portion 62 that is provided at one longitudinal end 61a so that the oscillating shaft 18 can be rotatably fitted therein, a first contact surface 63 that is provided at the upper portion (upper edge portion) extending from the one end 61a to the other end 61b and that comes into contact with the first inclined portion 3A, and a second contact surface 64 that is provided at the lower portion (lower edge portion) extending from the one end 61a to the other end 61b and that comes into contact with the second inclined portion 4A.

[0052] The first contact surface 63 is formed with a required length on a portion of the upper side of the swinging body 61 that is biased toward the other end 61b. As shown in Figures 7(C) and 10(B), the first contact surface 63 is formed as a closing and holding surface that holds the first inclined portion 3A of the first structure 2A when the swinging body 61 comes into contact with the first inclined portion 3A of the first structure 2A in a substantially horizontal state when the open-close cover 12A is in the fully closed position. 6(B), a contact avoidance surface 61c is formed on the upper side of the swing body 61, extending from one end of the first contact surface 63 to the one end 61a, to avoid contact with the first inclined portion 3A when the swing body 61 swings. Furthermore, a swing restriction upper surface 69a is formed on the upper side of the swing body 61, extending from one end of the contact avoidance surface 61c to the one end 61a, to come into contact with a first stop portion 72 (described later) of the swing restriction portion 7A, as shown in FIG.

[0053] The second contact surface 64 is formed with a required length on a portion of the lower side of the swing body 61 that is biased toward the other end 61b. The second contact surface 64, together with a swing restriction lower surface 69b (described later), is configured as a flat surface that extends continuously in a substantially straight line from one end 61a to the other end 61b of the swing body 61. In addition, in the portion of the lower edge of the oscillating body 61 extending from one end of the second contact surface 64 to one end 61a, as shown in Figure 6(B), a oscillating restricting lower surface 69b is formed which comes into contact with the first stop portion 72 of the oscillating restricting portion 7A, which will be described later.

[0054] Furthermore, the corners of the swinging body 61 that come into contact with the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A are tapered to facilitate smooth swinging after contact. 6(A) and other figures, reference numeral 68 denotes a side plate attached between one end 61a of the oscillating body 61 and a part of the oscillation regulating part 7A. The side plate 68 is attached to the underside of the tension applying member 67 with the oscillating shaft 18 and the first mounting part 65 as reference mounting positions, and supports the tension applying member 67 so as to stabilize its behavior when the oscillating body 61 oscillates.

[0055] The first attachment portion 65 is a portion where one end of the tensioning member 67 is attached. The first attachment portion 65 is provided on the attachment frame 16 on the main body 10A side. In the first embodiment, the first attachment portion 65 is provided as a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes forward on a swing restriction portion 7A (described later) that is disposed on the attachment frame 16.

[0056] The second attachment portion 66 is a portion to which the other end of the tensioning member 67 is attached. The second attachment portion 66 is provided at a position opposite the first attachment portion 65 across the oscillation shaft 18 of the oscillation portion 6A. In the first embodiment, the second attachment portion 66 is provided as a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes forward from the center of the oscillation body 61 in the longitudinal direction toward the one end portion 61a.

[0057] The tension applying member 67 is a member that is attached so as to apply tension between the first attachment portion 65 and the second attachment portion 66. In the first embodiment, a tension coil spring is used as the tension applying member 67. One end of the coil spring, which is an example of the tension applying member 67, is attached to the first attachment portion 65 and the other end is attached to the second attachment portion 66. As a result, the coil spring of the tension applying member 67 keeps the first attachment portion 65 and the second attachment portion 66 in a tensioned state as a whole, and applies the required tension between them.

[0058] The swing regulation portion 7A of the second structure 5A is a portion that regulates the swing range by stopping the movement of the swing body 61 of the swing portion 6A at a predetermined position when swinging. As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the swing restriction portion 7A is configured as a structural portion in which a first stop portion 72 and a second stop portion 73 are provided on a main body portion 71 that is placed on the mounting frame 16 of the main body 10A.

[0059] The main body 71 is disposed as a portion that protrudes forward at a position close to one end 61a of the mounting frame 16, where the bearing 62 of the oscillating body 61 is located. The main body 71 is provided with a first mounting portion 65 as a cylindrical protrusion that protrudes forward. The first stop portion 72 is a portion that comes into contact with the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A when it swings toward the first inclined part 3A, thereby stopping the swinging motion. The second stop portion 73 is a portion that comes into contact with the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A when it swings toward the second inclined part 4A, thereby stopping the swinging motion.

[0060] The first stop portion 72 and the second stop portion 73 in the first embodiment are provided as wall surfaces on the surface of the main body 71 facing the oscillating main body 61, and are positioned to restrict both ends of the oscillation range of the oscillating portion 6A. Furthermore, the first stop portion 72 and the second stop portion 73 are formed as surfaces that extend obliquely upward and downward at a predetermined angle, with the midpoint of the straight line connecting the oscillation shaft 18 and the first mounting portion 65 as the reference (starting point). The predetermined angle is set to match the positions of both ends of the oscillation range required for the oscillating portion 6A, taking into account contact between the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A. As shown in Figures 7(B) and 8(B), the first stop portion 72 comes into contact with the swing restriction upper surface 69a of the swing body 61. As shown in Figure 10(B), the second stop portion 73 comes into contact with the swing restriction lower surface 69b of the swing body 61.

[0061] 7 and other figures, in the swinging part 6A, the swinging body 61 swings around the swing shaft 18 as a fulcrum from a lower swing position P1 (FIG. 7(A)) through an intermediate swing position P2 (FIG. 7(B)) to an upper swing position P3 (FIG. 7(C)). The swinging part 6A also swings in the reverse direction, from the upper swing position P3 to the lower swing position P1 via the intermediate swing position P2. The lower swing position P1 is the position where the swing restricting portion 7A comes into contact with the second stop portion 73. The upper swing position P3 is the position where the swing restricting portion 7A comes into contact with the first stop portion 72.

[0062] At this time, the swinging of the swinging part 6A is performed in a state in which the tension T of the tension applying member 67 is applied to the second attachment part 66 of the swinging body 61, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the swinging portion 6A swings actively toward either the lower swing position P1 or the upper swing position P3, with the intermediate swing position P2 serving as a switching point or neutral point.

[0063] At the intermediate swing position P2, as shown in Figure 7(B), the first mounting portion 65 and the second mounting portion 66 are aligned in a straight line (Lc) passing through the swing axis 18, and the tension T3 applied from the tensioning member 67 is at its maximum, while the forces are temporarily balanced to a neutral state. As a result, in the oscillating portion 6A, when the oscillating body 61 reaches the intermediate oscillating position P2, the force J that urges the oscillating body 61 to oscillate temporarily becomes almost zero (J≈0).

[0064] Furthermore, because the intermediate swing position P2 is the switching point for the swinging part 6A, an external force acts on the swinging body 61 when it is at the intermediate swing position P2, causing the swinging body 61 to move in either the up or down direction, which triggers the swinging. By triggering the swinging, the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A receives tensions T1 and T2 from the tensioning member 67, causing it to swing to either the downward swing position P1 or the upward swing position P3. The external force is generated by contact between the first inclined part 3A and the second inclined part 4A.

[0065] In this case, when the oscillating body 61 swings toward the downward swing position P1, it receives tension T1 from the tension applying member 67, and the tension T1 is converted into force J1 that swings it toward the downward swing position P1. When the oscillating body 61 swings toward the upward swing position P3, it receives tension T2 from the tension applying member 67, and the tension T2 is converted into force J2 that swings it toward the upward swing position P3.

[0066] Next, we return to the description of the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, etc., the inclined portion 31 of the first inclined portion 3A has a closing portion 32 with which the swinging portion 6A remains in contact when swinging toward the first inclined portion 3A during the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A.

[0068] The closing portion 32 is provided on the side of the inclined portion 31 that starts to incline obliquely downward (the inclination start side). In other words, the closing portion 32 is provided as a portion that is located upstream of the other portions of the inclined portion 31 in the direction Da2 in which the open-close cover 12A is closed.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 5, the closed portion 32 is inclined obliquely downward at a predetermined inclination angle α1. The inclination angle α1 at this time is set to an angle larger than the inclination angle (eg, α2) of other portions of the inclined portion 31 (eg, contact avoidance portion 33 described later). As a result, when the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A comes into contact with the closing part 32 (see FIG. 10), the swinging body 61 slides more easily on the closing part 32 than other parts, and the swinging body 61 swings more easily toward the upper swing position P3. As a result, the first inclined part 3A receives a stronger force Fb from the swinging part 6A in the direction Da2 to close the open-close cover 12A than other parts.

[0070] Furthermore, the closing portion 32 is formed so that the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A remains in contact with it when the opening / closing cover 12A is completely closed. As a result, the swinging part 6A keeps the swinging body 61 in contact with the closing portion 32, thereby keeping the opening / closing cover 12A in the closed state.

[0071] Furthermore, as can be seen by looking back from Figure 10 to Figure 9, when starting to open the opening / closing cover 12A, the closing part 32 also functions as a part (push-back part) that pushes down the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A that is in contact with the closing part 32 so that it returns downward, causing it to start swinging toward the second inclined part 4A.

[0072] 5, the inclined portion 31 of the first inclined portion 3A has a contact avoidance portion 33 that continues from the end (lower end) 32b of the closing portion 32. The contact avoidance portion 33 is an inclined portion that does not come into contact with the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A when the open-close cover 12A is opened or closed. The contact avoidance portion 33 is also inclined obliquely downward at a predetermined inclination angle α2. The inclination angle α2 is set to be smaller than the inclination angle α1 of the closing portion 32 (α2<α1), for example.

[0073] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, etc., the inclined portion 41 of the second inclined portion 4A has an opening portion 42 that is the first to come into contact with the swinging portion 6A that begins to swing toward the second inclined portion 4A when opening the opening / closing cover 12A.

[0074] 5, the opening 42 is provided on the side of the sloping portion 41 where the sloping portion 41 starts to slope obliquely downward (the side where the sloping portion 41 starts to slope). In other words, the opening 42 is provided as a portion of the sloping portion 41 that is located upstream of the other portions of the sloping portion 41 in the direction Da2 in which the opening-closing cover 12A is closed. As a result, when opening the open-close cover 12A, the swinging portion 6A, which starts to swing toward the second inclined portion 4A, comes into contact with the opening portion 42 first.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 5, the opening 42 is a portion that slopes obliquely downward at a predetermined slope angle β1. The inclination angle β1 at this time is set to be approximately the same as the inclination angle α1 of the closing portion 32 of the first inclined section 3A, and is set to be smaller than the inclination angle (e.g., β2) of other portions of the inclined portion 41 (e.g., the push-up portion 43 described later).

[0076] In addition, as shown in Figure 5, the inclined portion 41 of the second inclined portion 4A has a push-up portion 43 that is provided continuously from the downstream end (lower end) 42b of the opening portion 42 in the direction Da2 in which the opening / closing cover 12A is closed.

[0077] When opening / closing cover 12A begins to close, push-up portion 43 comes into contact with swinging portion 6A, which is swinging toward second inclined portion 4A, and moves swinging portion 6A toward first inclined portion 3A. Push-up portion 43 is inclined obliquely downward at a predetermined inclination angle β2. Inclination angle β2 is set to be larger than inclination angle β1 of opening portion 42 (β2>β1), for example.

[0078] Incidentally, the first structure 2A can be manufactured as a single unit by using a material such as synthetic resin, including the support portion 21, the first inclined portion 3A, and the second inclined portion 4A. 2 and 3, opening / closing cover 12A is set to be in a closed state when one end 12e thereof abuts against a stop portion 17 provided in a corresponding portion of opening / closing portion 14 of main body 10A. One end 12e is provided as an abutment portion, for example, in a portion away from hinge 13. Furthermore, opening / closing cover 12A is in the normal closed position when one end 12e abuts against stop portion 17.

[0079] <Operation of the opening / closing mechanism when closing the opening / closing cover> Next, the operation of opening / closing mechanism 1A when opening / closing cover 12A is closed will be described.

[0080] First, the opening / closing cover 12A, which is in the open state as illustrated in Figures 1(B) and 2, is rotated in the closing direction Da2 around the hinge 13 as a fulcrum, and begins to close so as to cover the opening / closing section 14 of the main body 10A. When the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, in the opening / closing mechanism 1A, as shown in Figure 8(A), the first structure 2A arranged on the side of the opening / closing cover 12A begins to approach the second structure 5A arranged on the side of the main body 10A.

[0081] At this time, in the opening / closing mechanism 1A, the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A enters a space (gap space Sa) between the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A moving in the closing direction Da2, as shown in Fig. 8. In other words, the first structure 2A guides the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A between its first inclined portion 3A and second inclined portion 4A. At this time, the swinging portion 6A is in a state in which the swinging body 61 has swung to a swing position P1 on the lower side, as shown in FIG. 7(A) and FIG. 8(B).

[0082] Next, the open / close cover 12A is further pushed in the closing direction Da2. Then, as shown in Figure 8(A), the pushing-up portion 43 of the inclined portion 41 of the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A comes into contact with the second contact surface 64 of the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating portion 6A, which is oscillating to the lower oscillating position P1. At this time, the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A utilizes the inclination of the push-up portion 43, which moves in conjunction with the movement of the opening / closing cover 12A in the closing direction Da2, to move the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating portion 6A in the upward direction Ea1, thereby moving the oscillating body 61 to swing toward the first inclined portion 3A.

[0083] At this time, as shown in Figure 8(A), the second inclined portion 4A receives a force J1 from the tensioning member 67 that causes the inclined push-up portion 43 to swing from the swing body 61 toward the downward swing position P1, and therefore receives a portion of the component force of this force J1 as a force Fa in the opening direction Da1 of the opening / closing cover 12A. As a result, the opening / closing cover 12A receives the force Fa when it is closed, and therefore the closing operation does not stop midway.

[0084] At this time, the second inclined portion 4A is configured so that the push-up portion 43 moves the swing body 61 until it reaches the intermediate swing position P2 (FIG. 7(B)), which is the switching point. As a result, the swing body 61 of the swing part 6A temporarily reaches and passes through the intermediate swing position P2, as shown in FIGS. 7(B) and 9. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, the first inclined portion 3A moves in the closing direction Da2 of the opening / closing cover 12A without the contact avoidance portion 33 coming into contact with the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating portion 6A, and at that time, a part of the contact avoidance portion 33 enters and begins to pass through the first opening 16a in the mounting frame 16.

[0085] Next, the swinging body 61 of the swinging portion 6A temporarily reaches the intermediate swing position P2 (FIG. 7(B)) as shown in FIG. 9, and then starts swinging toward the first inclined portion 3A.

[0086] At this time, the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A is in a state in which its inclined portion 41 is separated from the swinging body 61 of the swinging portion 6A. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, the second inclined portion 4A moves in the closing direction Da2 of the open-close cover 12A without the push-up portion 43 coming into contact with the swinging body 61 of the swinging portion 6A, and at that time, part of the push-up portion 43 enters and begins to pass through the second opening 16b in the mounting frame 16.

[0087] Also, at this time, as shown in Figure 9, after the contact avoidance portion 33 of the inclined portion 31 passes through the oscillating body 61, the closing portion 32 of the inclined portion 31 approaches and faces the oscillating body 61.

[0088] Subsequently, the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A comes into contact with the closed part 32 of the first inclined part 3A as shown in FIG. 10(B), and continues swinging toward the first inclined part 3A.

[0089] At this time, as shown in Figure 10(A), the first inclined portion 3A of the first structure 2A receives a force J2 from the tensioning member 67 that causes the inclined closing portion 32 to swing from the swing body 61 toward the upward swing position P3 (Figure 7(C)), and therefore receives a portion of the component force of this force J2 as a force Fb in the closing direction Da2 of the opening / closing cover 12A. As a result, opening / closing cover 12A receives force Fb when closing, and the closing operation is assisted by opening / closing mechanism 1A.

[0090] Finally, as shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, when abutment portion 12e of opening / closing cover 12A abuts against stop portion 17 of opening / closing portion 14 of main body 10A, opening / closing cover 12A reaches the normal closed position. In the opening / closing mechanism 1A, as shown in Figure 4, etc., the abutment end 21e formed at the upper end of the support portion 21 of the first structure 2A by protruding so as to be on both sides of the first inclined portion 3A also abuts against the peripheral portion of the first opening 16a of the mounting frame 16, causing the opening / closing cover 12A to reach the normal closed position.

[0091] At this time, in the opening and closing mechanism 1A, as shown in Figures 3 and 10, the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A swinging toward the upper swing position P3 continues to contact the closing portion 32 of the first inclined part 3A of the first structure 2A. As a result, in opening / closing mechanism 1A, first inclined portion 3A of first structure 2A continues to receive force Fb from swinging body 61 of swinging portion 6A in direction Da2 to close opening / closing cover 12A. As a result, swinging portion 6A of second structure 5A continues to apply force Fb in closing direction Da2 to first inclined portion 3A, thereby keeping opening / closing cover 12A in a closed state. The state of the opening / closing mechanism 1A at this time is the state in which engagement is completed when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed.

[0092] Furthermore, at this time, the opening / closing cover 12A continues to receive the force Fb in the closing direction Da2, and is therefore kept in a closed state that is less likely to cause rattle in the opening / closing section 14 of the main body 10A, compared to when the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating section 6A of the opening / closing mechanism 1A does not come into contact with the closing portion 32 of the first inclined section 3A and keeps the opening / closing cover 12A in a closed state.

[0093] As described above, in the device 100A equipped with the opening / closing mechanism 1A according to the first embodiment, when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, it does not stop short of reaching the normal closed position, but closes normally at the normal closed position.

[0094] <Operation of the opening / closing mechanism when opening the opening / closing cover> Next, the operation of opening / closing mechanism 1A when opening opening / closing cover 12A will be described.

[0095] First, the opening / closing cover 12A, which is in the closed state as illustrated in Figures 1(A) and 3, is rotated in the opening direction Da1 around the hinge 13 as a fulcrum, thereby beginning to open so as to expose the opening / closing section 14 of the main body 10A to the outside. When the opening / closing cover 12A is opened, in the opening / closing mechanism 1A, as can be seen by looking back from Figure 10 to Figure 9, the first structure 2A gradually begins to move away from the complete engagement state with the second structure 5A.

[0096] At this time, in the opening / closing mechanism 1A, as shown in FIG. 8, the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A moving in the opening direction Da1 move away from the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A. At this time, the swinging portion 6A is in a state in which the swinging body 61 has swung to the upper swing position P1, as shown in FIG. 7(C) and FIG. 10(B).

[0097] Next, the openable cover 12A is further moved in the opening direction Da1. Then, the first structure 2A causes the closing portion 32 of the first inclined portion 3A to swing to the upper swing position P3, and moves the swing body 61 of the swing portion 6A, which remains in contact with the closing portion 32, to swing toward the second inclined portion 4A. At this time, the first inclined portion 3A of the first structure 2A utilizes the inclination of the closing part 32, which moves in conjunction with the movement of the opening / closing cover 12A in the closing direction Da2, to move the oscillating body 61 in the downward direction Ea2 and begin to oscillate toward the second inclined portion 4A.

[0098] At this time, as shown in Figure 10(A), the first inclined portion 3A continues to receive a force Fb from the oscillating body 61 in the closing direction Da2 of the opening / closing cover 12A, and moves the oscillating body 61 in the downward direction Ea2 against this force Fb. Incidentally, if the operation to open the opening / closing cover 12A is interrupted at this stage, the opening / closing cover 12A will move in the closing direction Da2 by the opening / closing mechanism 1A and return to the closed state.

[0099] At this time, the first inclined portion 3A moves the oscillating body 61 until the closing portion 32 reaches the intermediate oscillating position P2, which is the switching point. As a result, the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating portion 6A temporarily reaches and passes through the intermediate oscillating position P2, as shown in Figures 7(B) and 9. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, second inclined portion 4A of first structure 2A starts to move in direction Da1 in which opening / closing cover 12A is opened without inclined portion 41 contacting swing body 61 of swing portion 6A.

[0100] Subsequently, the swinging body 61 of the swinging portion 6A temporarily reaches the intermediate swing position P2 (FIG. 7(B)) as shown in FIG. 9, and then starts to swing toward the second inclined portion 4A.

[0101] At this time, the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A comes into contact with the opening 42 in the inclined part 41 of the second inclined part 4A, and continues swinging toward the second inclined part 4A. At this time, as can be seen by looking back from Figure 9(A) to Figure 8(A), the second inclined portion 4A receives a force J1 that causes the inclined opening portion 42 to swing from the swinging body 61 toward the downward swing position P1, and therefore receives a portion of the component force of this force J1 as a force Fa in the opening direction Da1 of the opening / closing cover 12A. As a result, opening / closing cover 12A receives force Fa when opening, and the opening operation is assisted by opening / closing mechanism 1A.

[0102] Finally, as shown in Figure 2 and other figures, the first inclined portion 3A and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structure 2A are separated from the swinging portion 6A of the second structure 5A, and the engagement by the opening and closing mechanism 1A is completely released. At this time, the swinging body 61 of the swinging portion 6A swings to the lower swing position P1 (Figure 7(A)) and stops, as shown in Figures 7(A) and 8(B). Furthermore, if the operation of opening the opening / closing cover 12A is continued further, the opening / closing cover 12A will be in the completely open state as shown in FIG. 1(B).

[0103] In the device 100A equipped with this opening / closing mechanism 1A, even if, when the opening / closing cover 12A is opened and then closed, the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A is not in the normal lower swing position P1 as shown in FIG. 12(B) but is in an abnormal state where it has swung incorrectly to the upper swing position P3 as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12(A) due to some factor, the situation can be dealt with as described below. Incidentally, when the opening / closing mechanism 1A closes the opening / closing cover 12A, if the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A is in an abnormal state of swinging to the upper swing position P3, as shown in Figure 11, even if an attempt is made to close the opening / closing cover 12A, the first inclined part 3A will hit the swinging body 61, and the closing operation will not be able to continue any further.

[0104] That is, the swinging part 6A of the opening / closing mechanism 1A is visible from the outside when the opening / closing cover 12A is open, as shown in Figures 1(B), 2, 11, 12(A), etc. In other words, the swinging part 6A is configured to be exposed to the outside so that it can be reached by the user.

[0105] As a result, in the device 100A, even if an abnormal state occurs in which the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating part 6A oscillates to the upper oscillating position P3 when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, the user can grasp the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating part 6A in that state with their hands and manually oscillate it to the lower oscillating position P1 (see Figure 12). As a result, in device 100A, the operation of closing open / close cover 12A can be performed normally without being hindered by swing body 61 of swing part 6A in an abnormal state.

[0106] Second embodiment. Fig. 13 is a conceptual diagram of an opening / closing mechanism 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a perspective view with the opening / closing cover open. Fig. 14 is a schematic side view of a first structure 2B in the opening / closing mechanism 1B.

[0107] The opening and closing mechanism 1B differs from the opening and closing mechanism 1A of the first embodiment in that a partially modified first structure 2B is used instead of the first structure 2A in the first embodiment, but otherwise has the same configuration as the opening and closing mechanism 1A. Therefore, hereinafter, common parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted unless necessary.

[0108] The first structure 2B in the opening / closing mechanism 1B has the same configuration as the opening / closing mechanism 1A of the first embodiment, except that it has been modified by applying a first inclined portion 3B to which an abnormality release portion 36 has been added, as shown in Figures 13 and 14. The abnormality release part 36 is a part that comes into contact with the swinging body 61 of the swinging part 6A in an abnormal state swinging toward the first inclined part 3B (upper swing position P3) during the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A, and moves the swinging body 61 to swing toward the second inclined part 4A (lower swing position P1).

[0109] The abnormality reset portion 36 is provided contiguous to the downstream end (lower end) 33e of the inclined portion 31 of the first inclined section 3B in the direction Da2 in which the open-close cover 12A is closed. The abnormality reset portion 36 is inclined obliquely upward from the end 33e of the inclined portion 31 at a predetermined inclination angle γ1. The inclination angle γ1 is set in consideration of, for example, making it possible to contact the swing body 61 in an abnormal state and gradually push it down in the downward direction Ea2 during the operation of closing the open-close cover 12A. Furthermore, the protrusion 30B to which the abnormality resetting portion 36 has been added has a shape that is longer downstream in the closing direction Da2 by the amount of the added abnormality resetting portion 36 compared to the protrusion 30A in the first embodiment.

[0110] In this opening / closing mechanism 1B, when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, if the oscillating body 61 of the oscillating part 6A is in an abnormal state, oscillating to the upper oscillating position P3, as shown in Figures 13 and 15(A), the abnormality release portion 36 of the first inclined part 3B of the first structure 2B comes into contact with the oscillating body 61, which is in an abnormal state, during the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A. Subsequently, as the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A continues, the swinging body 61 is gradually pushed downward in Ea2 by contact with the abnormality reset portion 36, which is moving in the direction Da2 for closing the opening / closing cover 12A. During this downward movement, the swinging body 61 passes through the intermediate swing position P2, as shown in FIG. 15(B). Finally, the swinging body 61 is corrected to the normal state (see FIG. 7(A)) where it has swung to the lower swing position P1.

[0111] As a result, in the opening / closing mechanism 1B, compared to when the first inclined portion 3B does not have the abnormality release portion 36, the swinging portion 6A when in an abnormal state can be easily corrected without requiring any special operation during the process of closing the opening / closing cover 12A, making it possible to perform the operation of closing the opening / closing cover 12A normally.

[0112] Third embodiment. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an apparatus 100B equipped with an opening / closing mechanism 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 17 is a schematic front view of the apparatus 100B.

[0113] <Device equipped with opening and closing mechanism> The device 100B equipped with the opening / closing mechanism 1 is an example of an image forming device, and is equipped with a housing 10B, which is another example of a main body. The housing 10B has a required external shape, and its exterior is covered with an exterior cover 11. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 17, an image forming unit 120 as a functional unit 102A is disposed in a required position inside the housing 10B, and a medium supply unit 130 as a functional unit 102B is also disposed.

[0114] The image forming unit 120 is a structural portion that forms an image on the recording medium 109. The image forming unit 120 is configured by, for example, an electrophotographic imaging device. The image forming unit 120 of the above type includes an image carrier such as a photoreceptor having an image-retaining surface, devices such as a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, and a transfer device that are arranged around the image carrier, and a fixing device that is arranged at a position away from the image carrier, all of which are not shown. The image forming unit 120 of the above type also includes related devices such as a developer replenishing device, an image processing device, and a control device, all of which are not shown.

[0115] The medium supply unit 130 is a structural part that supplies the recording medium 109 to the image forming unit 120 . The medium supply unit 130 is configured, for example, with two tiers of medium supply units 130A and 130B arranged one above the other. The medium supply units 130A and 130B can be pulled out toward the front side of the main body 10B. The medium supply units 130A and 130B are covered by front covers 19a and 19b, respectively, on the front side of the main body 10B. The recording medium 109 is a sheet-like medium that can be transported within the housing 10B and on which an image can be formed by the image forming unit 120. The dashed line with arrows in FIG. 17 indicates the main transport path of the recording medium 109.

[0116] Furthermore, since the housing 10B is equipped with the image forming unit 120 and the medium supply unit 130, it is also provided with a medium discharge unit 140 for discharging and storing the recording medium 109 on which the image has been formed. The medium ejection section 140 in the third embodiment is provided as a so-called internal ejection section, for example, in a portion of the upper right side of the housing 10B, with an open ejection space with a front and a part of the right side open. In Figure 17, reference numeral 142 denotes a medium storage surface, and reference numeral 142b denotes a sloped portion of the medium storage surface 142.

[0117] Furthermore, in device 100B, parts of exterior cover 11 are configured as opening / closing covers 12A and 12C, which are an example of an opening / closing body, as shown in Fig. 16. Device 100B may also be provided with opening / closing covers other than opening / closing covers 12A and 12C.

[0118] Open-close cover 12A is a rectangular cover that forms part of exterior cover 11e located on the front side of device 100B. Open-close cover 12A is a vertically opening cover that covers and exposes image forming unit 120. Open-close cover 12A is also configured to cover sloped surface 142b of medium storage surface 142 in medium supply unit 130.

[0119] Open-close cover 12C is a rectangular cover that forms part of exterior cover 11f that is disposed on the right side of device 100B, for example. Open-close cover 12C is a vertical-opening cover of the same type as open-close cover 12A. Reference numeral 14B shown in FIG. 16 denotes an opening / closing portion of the main body 10B when the opening / closing cover 12A is opened and closed, and reference numerals 15c and 15d denote handle portions of the opening / closing covers 12A and 12C.

[0120] <Opening and closing mechanism> The device 100B is provided with either the opening / closing mechanism 1A according to the first embodiment or the opening / closing mechanism 1B according to the second embodiment as the opening / closing mechanism 1 that mainly engages the opening / closing cover 12A when closing it. One of the opening / closing covers, 12C, is provided with an opening / closing mechanism having a different configuration from the opening / closing mechanism 1 in the opening / closing cover 12A, but the same opening / closing mechanism 1 may be provided.

[0121] Therefore, even in the device 100B, which is an image forming apparatus equipped with either the opening / closing mechanism 1A or 1B, when the opening / closing cover 12A is closed, it does not stop before reaching the normal closed position, and is closed normally at the normal closed position.

[0122] For this reason, if device 100B is provided with a detection switch that detects when opening / closing cover 12A is closed by being physically pressed, and is configured so that image forming unit 120 becomes operable when the detection switch detects this, it becomes possible to avoid, for example, the following malfunctions from occurring. That is, in device 100B employing the above-described detection switch configuration, the detection switch may detect that opening / closing cover 12A is closed even when opening / closing cover 12A has stopped short of reaching the correct closed position. In this case, opening / closing cover 12A may vibrate and generate abnormal noise when an image formation operation is started in device 100B, and in some cases opening / closing cover 12A may occur unexpectedly. In this regard, in the device 100B equipped with either one of the opening / closing mechanisms 1A or 1B, the opening / closing cover 12A does not stop before reaching the normal closed position and closes normally at the normal closed position, thereby avoiding the occurrence of the problems exemplified above.

[0123] Variant. The present invention is not limited to the contents exemplified in the first to third embodiments, and includes, for example, the following modified examples.

[0124] In the first and second embodiments, the first oscillating portion 3A, 3B and the second inclined portion 4A in the first structure 2A, 2B of the opening / closing mechanism 1A, 1B are exemplified as having inclined portions 31, 41 formed on plate-shaped protrusions 30A, 30B, 40A, but, for example, the following configuration may also be adopted. That is, the first oscillating portions 3A, 3B and the second inclined portion 4A may be configured by forming inclined portions 31, 41 on a rod-shaped base material, for example.

[0125] Furthermore, the first oscillating portions 3A, 3B and the second inclined portion 4A are not limited to the configuration example in which they are arranged at intervals on a straight line in the vertical direction of the support portion 21 as exemplified in the first and second embodiments, but may also be arranged so that they are offset in the left-right direction as long as they are able to come into contact with the oscillating portion 6A and are within the range in which the above-mentioned forces Fa and Fb can be obtained. Furthermore, the first inclined portion 3A of the first structure 2A of the opening / closing mechanism 1A in the first embodiment may have a shape in which the contact avoidance portion 33 is not provided.

[0126] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, instead of the swinging part 6A in the second structure 5A of the opening and closing mechanisms 1A, 1B, an electric swinging part that swings the swinging body 61 using the driving force of a motor may be used.

[0127] In this case, the electric swinging unit is configured such that the swing shaft 18 of the swinging body 61 is connected to a drive device such as a motor, and a sensor is provided to detect the swing position of the swinging body 61. The electrically operated oscillating unit is configured to trigger the oscillating body 61 to oscillate when the oscillating body 61 comes into contact with the first inclined portions 3A, 3B and the second inclined portion 4A of the first structures 2A, 2B, and when it detects that the oscillating body 61 has moved from the lower oscillating position P1 to the intermediate oscillating position P2, it activates the drive unit to oscillate the oscillating body 61 toward the upper oscillating position P3 using the driving force of the drive unit. Furthermore, the electric oscillating unit may be configured to activate the drive unit and oscillate the oscillating body 61 toward the lower swing position P1 using the driving force of the drive unit when it detects that the oscillating body 61 has moved from the upper swing position P3 to the intermediate swing position P2.

[0128] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, a swing restriction portion having, for example, protruding first and second stop portions 72 and 73 may be employed in place of the swing restriction portion 7A.

[0129] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, an electrophotographic image forming unit is employed as the image forming unit 120, but an image forming unit of another image forming method may be employed as the image forming unit 120. Examples of other image forming methods include a droplet ejection method (such as an ink ejection method) and a wet development method.

[0130] In the first to third embodiments, an example is given in which one opening / closing mechanism 1A, 1B is provided for one opening / closing cover 12A, but it is also possible to provide multiple opening / closing mechanisms 1A, 1B for one opening / closing cover 12A. Furthermore, the opening / closing body to which the opening / closing mechanism 1, typified by the opening / closing mechanisms 1A and 1B, is applied is not limited to the opening / closing cover 12A, but may be an opening / closing body in the form of an opening / closing door, a drawer, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1,1A,1B…Opening / closing mechanism 3A, 3B... First inclined portion (an example of the first inclined portion) 4A...Second inclined portion (an example of the second inclined portion) 6A...Swinging part (an example of a swinging part) 7A...Swing regulation unit (an example of a swing regulation unit) 10A, 10B...Main body (example of main body) 12A, 12B, 12C...opening and closing covers (examples of opening and closing bodies) 13a...Support shaft (an example of the first shaft) 18...Oscillating axis (an example of the second axis) 31...Sloping portion of first slope 32...Closed part 41...Sloping portion of second slope 42...Opening 45...Push-up part 72...1st stop part 73…Second stop part Da1...Opening direction of the opening and closing body Da2: Closing direction of the opening and closing body

Claims

1. a first inclined portion disposed on an opening / closing body that opens and closes around a first axis in the main body; a second inclined portion disposed on the opening / closing body; a swinging portion that swings between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion around a second shaft that is disposed on the main body as a fulcrum; Equipped with the second inclined portion is disposed so as to be closer to the first axis than the first inclined portion, An opening / closing mechanism characterized in that, during the operation of closing the opening / closing body, the swinging portion contacts the second inclined portion to apply a force in a direction to open the opening / closing body, and then contacts the first inclined portion to apply a force in a direction to close the opening / closing body.

2. the first inclined portion has a portion that is present on a side facing the first axis and inclined obliquely downward, The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the second inclined portion has a portion that is away from the first inclined portion toward the first axis and that is located on the side facing the first inclined portion and inclined diagonally downward.

3. the swinging portion includes a first mounting portion provided on the main body, a second mounting portion provided at a position farther from the first mounting portion than the second axis of the swinging portion, and a tension applying member attached so as to apply tension between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion, The opening and closing mechanism described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the oscillating portion is switched to either the side of the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion and oscillates under the tensioned state when the first inclined portion or the second inclined portion comes into contact with the opening and closing body during the opening and closing operation.

4. The opening / closing mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the inclined portion of the first inclined portion has a closing portion with which the swinging portion continues to contact when swinging toward the first inclined portion during the closing operation of the opening / closing body.

5. The opening / closing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the swinging portion keeps the opening / closing body in a closed state while remaining in contact with the closing portion.

6. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that the closing portion functions as a portion that starts to swing the swinging portion in contact with the closing portion toward the second inclined portion when the opening and closing body begins to open.

7. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the inclined portion of the second inclined portion has an opening portion that the swinging portion first contacts when it begins to swing toward the second inclined portion during the operation of opening the opening and closing body.

8. the inclined portion of the second inclined portion has a push-up portion provided continuously from the downstream end of the opening portion in the closing direction, The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that when the opening and closing body begins to close, the pushing-up portion contacts the swinging portion swinging toward the second inclined portion, causing the swinging portion to swing toward the first inclined portion.

9. The opening and closing mechanism described in claim 3, characterized in that the main body is provided with a swing regulating section having a first stop section that contacts the swinging section when the swinging section is swung toward the first inclined section to stop the swinging, and a second stop section that contacts the swinging section when the swinging section is swung toward the second inclined section to stop the swinging.

10. The opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the swinging portion is visible when the opening / closing body is open.

11. The opening / closing mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the swinging portion can be manually swung when the opening / closing body is open.

12. the first inclined portion has an abnormality release portion provided adjacent to an end portion of the inclined portion on a downstream side in the closing direction, The opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 2, 4 to 8, characterized in that, during the operation of closing the opening / closing body, the abnormality release portion contacts the swinging portion, which is swinging toward the first inclined portion, and moves the swinging portion to swing toward the second inclined portion.

13. The main body and One or more opening / closing bodies attached to the main body in an openable / closable manner; an opening / closing mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12, which is provided on the main body and at least one of the opening / closing bodies; A device equipped with an opening and closing mechanism, comprising:

14. 14. The device with an opening / closing mechanism according to claim 13, wherein the main body is provided with an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium.

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