Composite machine

Abstract

To make it easier for a user to bring an external apparatus close to a communication unit.SOLUTION: A multifunction device includes a document cover (4) having a handgrip portion (43), and an operation panel (5) having an antenna (52) and a panel cover (51). When the operation panel (5) is viewed from a front face of the multifunction device, a mark (513) indicating a position of the antenna (52) is located on the front face side of the multifunction device relative to the handgrip portion (43), on a top surface (50) of the panel cover (51), and is located in an inner portion in a left-right direction than both ends of the multifunction device in the left-right direction of the handgrip portion (43).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a multifunction peripheral. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a multifunction peripheral that includes a scanning device with a document cover, a display / operation panel, and an NFC (Near Field Communication) board with a loop antenna that communicates using a short-range wireless communication method. The loop antenna communicates with a mobile terminal that is brought close to the NFC board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-171156 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The multifunction peripheral disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that when a user brings a mobile terminal close to the NFC board, the mobile terminal hits the document cover, making it difficult for the user to bring the mobile terminal close to the NFC board. The present disclosure aims to make it easier for the user to bring an external device close to the communication unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the multifunction peripheral of the present disclosure includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming unit having an ejection tray on an upper surface that receives the sheet on which the image has been formed; an image reading unit that reads an image from a document, the image reading unit having an original placement surface on an upper surface on which the document to be read can be placed, the image reading unit being disposed above the ejection tray; an original cover that opens and closes and covers the original placement surface of the image reading unit; a communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with an external device; and a panel cover that covers the communication unit and has an upper surface on which a mark indicating the position of the communication unit is provided. and an operation panel provided to the side of the image reading unit, wherein the document cover has a handle portion on the front side of the multifunction machine that is recessed from the front to the back of the multifunction machine when the document cover is closed and that is recessed from the bottom surface of the multifunction machine to the top, and when the document cover is closed and the operation panel is viewed from the front of the multifunction machine, the mark is on the top surface of the panel cover, on the front side of the multifunction machine with respect to the handle portion, and is located in a portion of the handle portion that is inward in the left-right direction from both ends of the multifunction machine in the left-right direction.

[0006] The document cover has a handle, so the user can easily open and close the document cover by inserting their hand into the handle. Furthermore, a mark indicating the position of the communication unit is located on the top surface of the panel cover, inward in the left-right direction from both ends of the multifunction device at the handle. Therefore, by inserting part of an external device into the handle, the user can easily bring the external device close to the mark indicating the position of the communication unit. In other words, the handle, which allows the user to easily open and close the document cover, also makes it easier for the user to bring the external device close to the communication unit.

[0007] In the multifunction peripheral of the present disclosure, the operation panel may be provided extending from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center, and the mark may be arranged near the center of the side of the image reading unit.

[0008] Because the operation panel extends only from one side edge of the image reading unit to near the center, a space for the user to take a sheet from the discharge tray is secured, making it easy for the user to take the sheet from the discharge tray. Also, because the mark is located near the center of the side of the image reading unit, the user can place their hand in the space and easily bring the external device close to the communication unit.

[0009] In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the operation panel may be arranged from one side end of the image reading unit to near the center, the handle portion may be positioned near the center of the side of the image reading unit when the document cover is closed, and the mark may be positioned closer to the one end of the image reading unit on the handle portion when the document cover is closed.

[0010] The operation panel is provided from one side edge of the image reading unit to near the center, ensuring space for the user to remove sheets from the discharge tray, making it easier for the user to remove the sheets. Furthermore, the mark is positioned closer to one end of the image reading unit in the handle section. Therefore, when the user brings an external device close to the communication section, the external device will touch the edge of the handle section on the document cover, making it easier for the user to align the external device with the mark.

[0011] In the multifunction device of the present disclosure, the operation panel is arranged in an opening in the panel cover and has a touch display that accepts user input operations and a switch, the switch is arranged between the touch display and the mark, and the top surface of the switch may be located below the top surface of the panel cover.

[0012] The top surface of the switch is located below the top surface of the panel cover, which reduces the chance of the user accidentally pressing the switch when aligning an external device with the mark, compared to when the switch protrudes from the top surface of the panel cover.

[0013] In the multifunction peripheral of the present disclosure, the communication unit may be a pattern antenna provided on a substrate of the operation panel. Since the communication unit is provided on the substrate as a thin pattern antenna, the thickness of the operation panel can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to make it easier for a user to bring an external device close to a communication unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction peripheral according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. 1 with the document cover open. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a plan view showing the appearance of an operation panel provided in the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the operation panel shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which an IC card, which is an example of an external device, is partly inserted into a handle portion of a document cover provided in the multifunction peripheral shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the rear side of the operation panel shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of the front surface side of a panel substrate of the operation panel shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a multifunction peripheral according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] [Embodiment 1] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. However, the following description is an example of a multifunction peripheral according to the present disclosure, and the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated example. In this embodiment, an example of a multifunction peripheral according to the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the side on which the operation panel 5 is provided is defined as the front side, or front face, of the multifunction peripheral 1. Furthermore, when viewed from the front face of the multifunction peripheral 1, the side that comes to the left hand is defined as the left side, and the side that comes to the right hand is defined as the right side.

[0017] (Overall configuration of multifunction device 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a multifunction peripheral 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a document cover 4 is open in the multifunction peripheral 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the multifunction peripheral 1 shown in FIG. 1. The multifunction peripheral 1 is an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral) having, for example, a communication function, a scanning function, a printing function, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction peripheral 1 includes an image forming unit 2, an image reading unit 3, a document cover 4, and an operation panel 5.

[0018] (Image forming unit 2) The image forming unit 2 forms an image on a sheet P. As shown in Fig. 3, the image forming unit 2 has a supply tray 21, an image forming section 22, a fixing device 23, and an output tray 24 inside a housing 20. In addition, a front cover 25 is provided on the front side of the housing 20 so as to be openable and closable.

[0019] The supply tray 21 is detachably mounted inside the housing 20 and supports the sheets P. The sheets P are, for example, plain paper. Note that the sheets P are not limited to plain paper, and may also be thick paper or thin paper. The number of supply trays 21 can be changed as appropriate.

[0020] The image forming unit 2 is provided with a conveying path R. The conveying path R is a path that runs from the supply tray 21 through the image forming section 22 and the fixing device 23 to the discharge tray 24. The image forming unit 2 also has a pickup roller 251, a registration roller 252, and a discharge roller 253 as a conveying section for conveying the sheet P along the conveying path R.

[0021] The pickup roller 251 is provided on the supply tray 21 and picks up the sheet P in the supply tray 21. The registration roller 252 transports the sheet P picked up by the pickup roller 251 toward the image forming unit 22 in synchronization with the toner image formation operation in the image forming unit 22. The discharge roller 253 discharges the sheet P on which the image has been formed onto the discharge tray 24. In other words, the discharge roller 253 discharges the sheet P into the space between the image forming unit 2 and the image reading unit 3.

[0022] The image forming unit 22 forms a toner image on a sheet P. The image forming unit 22 has a developing cartridge 221, a developing roller 222, a photosensitive drum 223, and a transfer roller 224. An electrostatic latent image based on image data is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223.

[0023] The developing roller 222 supplies toner contained in the developing cartridge 221 to the photosensitive drum 223, thereby developing the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 and forming a toner image. The photosensitive drum 223 and the transfer roller 224 are disposed opposite each other. The transfer roller 224 transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223 to the sheet P. In addition to these, the image forming unit 22 also has a charger that uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 223, and a cleaning roller that removes toner and the like remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 223.

[0024] The fixing device 23 has a heating section 231 and a roller 232. The heating section 231 and the roller 232 are pressed against each other to form a fixing nip between them. The fixing device 23 fixes the toner image formed on the sheet P to the sheet P by conveying the sheet P on which the toner image has been formed while heating it at the fixing nip. The sheet P on which the image has been formed is discharged to the discharge tray 24 by the discharge rollers 253. The discharge tray 24 receives the sheet P on which the image has been formed on its upper surface.

[0025] (Image reading unit 3) The image reading unit 3 reads an image from a document. The image reading unit 3 is disposed above the discharge tray 24. In other words, the image reading unit 3 is disposed above the image forming unit 2 at a distance. The image reading unit 3 is capable of reading images using, for example, both the flatbed method and the ADF method. The image reading unit 3 has an image reading section 31 inside a housing 30, and a contact glass 32 provided on the top surface of the housing 30. The contact glass 32 functions as a document placement surface on which a document to be read can be placed.

[0026] (Manuscript cover 4) The image reading unit 3 has a document cover 4. The document cover 4 is disposed above the image reading unit 3. The document cover 4 has an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 41 inside a housing 40.

[0027] The document cover 4 is attached to the rear of the image reading unit 3 via a hinge 42. This allows the document cover 4 to be opened and closed between an open position that exposes the contact glass 32 and a closed position that covers the contact glass 32. In other words, the document cover 4 covers the contact glass 32 in an openable and closable manner.

[0028] 1, the ADF 41 has a document supply tray 410 that supports documents for image reading, and a document discharge tray 420 that supports the documents after the images have been read. The ADF 41 also has a document transport mechanism (not shown) that passes the documents supported on the document supply tray 410 over the contact glass 32 and discharges them onto the document discharge tray 420.

[0029] The document cover 4 has a handle 43. The handle 43 is recessed from the front of the multifunction device 1 toward the back when the document cover 4 is closed. The handle 43 is also recessed from the bottom surface of the multifunction device 1 toward the top surface. In other words, when viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1, the handle 43 has a left side surface 431, a right side surface 432, a back surface 433, and a top surface 434, as shown in FIG. 2. The boundaries between these surfaces may be curved.

[0030] Furthermore, the handle 43 is recessed in a direction from the operation panel 5 toward the image reading unit 3 when the document cover 4 is closed, and in a direction from the image reading unit 3 toward the document cover 4. The handle 43 is located near the center of the side of the image reading unit 3 when the document cover 4 is closed. The handle 43 is designed to allow the user to easily open and close the document cover 4. The user can lift the document cover 4 by placing their fingers on the upper surface 434 of the handle 43.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 2, the image reading unit 31 has an image reading element 311 such as a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) arranged below the contact glass 32. When reading an image using the flatbed method, the document cover 4 is first opened, and the document from which the image is to be read is placed on the contact glass 32 with the surface to be read facing the contact glass 32, and then the document cover 4 is closed. Then, with the document covered from above by the document cover 4, the image reading unit 31 moves the image reading element 311 back and forth in the left-right direction (the direction of arrow 312 in Fig. 2) along the contact glass 32 to read the image of the surface to be read of the document.

[0032] On the other hand, when reading an image using the ADF method, the document transport mechanism of the ADF 41 transports the document supported on the document supply tray 410 onto the contact glass 32. As the document passes over the contact glass 32, the image reading unit 31 reads the image of the document's contact surface with the contact glass 32. The document transport mechanism ejects the document after image reading onto a document ejection tray 420 on the top surface of the document cover 4.

[0033] (Operation panel 5) The operation panel 5 is a user interface that displays the operating status and settings of the multifunction device 1 and accepts input operations from the user. The operation panel 5 is provided on the side, i.e., the front side, of the image reading unit 3. The operation panel 5 is located off to the left side of the image reading unit 3, protruding from the housing 30 of the image reading unit 3 located above the discharge tray 24 toward the front side.

[0034] Furthermore, the operation panel 5 has a shape with its longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, and is provided so that the short side of the operation panel 5 is inclined toward the user with respect to the front-to-back direction. By providing the operation panel 5 unevenly located on one side of the image reading unit 3, the operation panel 5 is less likely to get in the way when the user removes the sheet P after image formation from the discharge tray 24, making it easier to remove the sheet P.

[0035] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the appearance of the operation panel 5 provided in the multifunction peripheral 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing the appearance of the operation panel 5 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the operation panel 5 has a panel cover 51, an antenna 52, a communication board 53, a touch display 54, and switches 55.

[0036] The panel cover 51 has an upper surface 50, a first opening 511, and a second opening 512. The panel cover 51 is a long, plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, and covers the inside of the operation panel 5. In other words, the panel cover 51 covers the antenna 52 and the communication board 53.

[0037] The top surface 50 of the panel cover 51 has a mark 513 that indicates the position of the antenna 52. The mark 513 indicating the position of the antenna 52 means that the center of the antenna 52 is located near the mark 513 when the operation panel 5 is viewed from above. The mark 513 is arranged on the right side of the top surface 50 in the left-right direction. The mark 513 is printed on the top surface 50, but is not limited to this. The mark 513 may, for example, have a recess formed therein, or may be made of a light-transmitting material.

[0038] When the mark 513 is made of a light-transmitting member, the mark 513 may be configured to emit light by disposing a light source such as a light-emitting diode directly below the light-transmitting member. When a user uses the mark 513 as a guide and brings an external device close to the mark 513, communication can be established between the external device and the antenna 52. Examples of the external device include an IC card, a wireless tag, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal having an NFC (Near Field Communication) function.

[0039] Mark 513 is located in area A1 shown in FIG. 4. When the operation panel 5 is viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1 with the document cover 4 closed, area A1 is the portion of the top surface 50 that is on the front side of the multifunction device 1 relative to the handhold 43 and is more inward in the left-right direction than both ends of the handhold 43 in the left-right direction of the multifunction device 1. The ends of the handhold 43 are the left end EL and right end ER of the handhold 43. Mark 513 is included in area A1. More specifically, mark 513 is located toward the center of the handhold 43 in the left-right direction.

[0040] Here, because the discharge tray 24 is disposed below the image reading unit 3, the mark 513 is not covered by the sheet P, and the user can always easily see the mark 513. Furthermore, because the mark 513 is disposed on the front side of the multifunction device 1 relative to the document cover 4 when viewed from the front of the multifunction device 1, the user can easily bring an external device into contact with the mark 513.

[0041] Mark 513 is placed near the center of area A1 on the side of image reading unit 3. Because operation panel 5A extends only from one end E1 on the side of image reading unit 3 to near the center, a space is secured for the user to take sheet P from discharge tray 24, making it easier for the user to take out sheet P from discharge tray 24. Furthermore, because mark 513 is placed near the center on the side of image reading unit 3, the user can place their hand in the space, making it easier to bring an external device close to antenna 52.

[0042] Furthermore, when the document cover 4 is closed, the mark 513 is located near the left end EL of the handle 43 on the one end E1 side of the image reading unit 3. Therefore, when the user brings the external device close to the antenna 52, the external device abuts against the left end EL of the handle 43 on the one end E1 side of the document cover 4, making it easier for the user to align the external device with the mark 513.

[0043] The communication board 53 is provided inside the operation panel 5 at a position facing the mark 513 in order to achieve good wireless communication with external devices. The communication board 53 is arranged along the inside of the top surface 50 directly below the mark 513. The communication board 53 is a substantially rectangular plate-shaped circuit board, and is equipped with a communication circuit, a detection circuit, etc.

[0044] Antenna 52 is an example of a communication unit provided on the upper surface of communication board 53 so as to be located below mark 513. Antenna 52 is, for example, a loop antenna. Antenna 52 is provided on communication board 53 so as to be located below area A1 on upper surface 50.

[0045] That is, the handle 43 is disposed diagonally upward from the antenna 52. The diagonally upward direction is the direction from the front to the back of the multifunction device 1 and from the bottom to the top of the multifunction device 1. The antenna 52 performs short-range wireless communication with an external device. Examples of short-range wireless communication include NFC, but are not limited to this and may also be RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), for example.

[0046] Furthermore, antenna 52 may be a pattern antenna provided on communication board 53. Antenna 52 is provided on communication board 53 as a thin pattern antenna, which allows the thickness of operation panel 5 to be reduced. The pattern antenna may be, for example, a printed pattern antenna formed from conductive ink or conductive paste as a substantially thin plate-shaped conductive member, or may be formed by plating, etching, an inkjet method, a press method, or the like.

[0047] The antenna 52 has a function of transmitting and receiving radio waves for communicating with external devices. The communication circuit mounted on the communication board 53 has a function of processing the transmitted and received radio waves. The detection circuit mounted on the communication board 53 has a function of detecting the intensity of the radio waves transmitted and received by the antenna 52 by detecting the current flowing through the antenna 52.

[0048] Since the operation panel 5 has the antenna 52 and the mark 513 is on the top surface 50, the user can more easily recognize the position of the antenna 52 than if the mark 513 and the antenna 52 were located somewhere other than the operation panel 5.

[0049] The touch display 54 is exposed from a first opening 511 formed in a rectangular shape on the left side of the upper surface 50 in the left-right direction. The touch display 54 is disposed in the first opening 511. The touch display 54 receives input operations from the user via the first opening 511. The touch display 54 includes a touch panel, a liquid crystal panel, etc., which are not shown.

[0050] The switch 55 is exposed from a second opening 512 formed in a circular shape near the center in the left-right direction of the top surface 50. The switch 55 is disposed between the touch display 54 and the mark 513. The switch 55 switches the power of the multifunction device 1 on and off.

[0051] The function of switch 55 is not limited to switching the power of multifunction device 1 on and off, and switch 55 may have other functions such as waking multifunction device 1 from sleep mode or switching the operating functions.

[0052] The touch display 54, the switch 55, and the mark 513 are arranged so that their respective centers in the front-to-rear direction coincide with each other, thereby improving the design of the operation panel 5.

[0053] The panel cover 51 may have a capacitive upper surface 50 covered with a flat transparent plate through which the touch display 54 and the switches 55 can be operated. This makes it possible to omit the first opening 511 and the second opening 512 and realize a flat upper surface 50.

[0054] An upper surface 551 of the switch 55 is located below the upper surface 50 of the panel cover 51. Therefore, compared to when the switch 55 protrudes from the upper surface 50 of the panel cover 51, it is possible to reduce the chance of the user accidentally pressing the switch 55 when aligning an external device with the mark 513.

[0055] As described above, the document cover 4 has the handle 43, so that the user can easily open and close the document cover 4 by inserting their hand into the handle 43. Also, a mark 513 indicating the position of the antenna 52 is located on the top surface 50 of the panel cover 51, in a portion that is more inward in the left-right direction than both ends of the handle 43 in the left-right direction of the multifunction device 1.

[0056] Therefore, by placing part of the external device in handle portion 43, the user can easily bring the external device close to antenna 52 located at the position indicated by mark 513. In other words, handle portion 43, which allows the user to easily open and close document cover 4, can also serve to make it easier for the user to bring the external device close to antenna 52.

[0057] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which an IC card 61, which is an example of an external device, is partially inserted into the handle portion 43 of the document cover 4 provided in the multifunction device 1 shown in Fig. 1. When the user brings the IC card 61 close to the mark 513, the user can insert a portion of the IC card 61 into the handle portion 43, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0058] This makes it easy for the user to move the IC card 61 to a position where the vicinity of the center of the IC card 61 faces the antenna 52. Since a component for the IC card 61 to communicate with the antenna 52 is often provided near the center of the IC card 61, the user can easily position the component facing the antenna 52. This makes it easy for the user to communicate between the IC card 61 and the antenna 52.

[0059] Furthermore, there is no need to increase the length of the operation panel 5 in the front-to-rear direction to make it easier for the user to move the IC card 61 to a position where the vicinity of the center of the IC card 61 faces the antenna 52. This improves the design of the multifunction device 1 and prevents the user from having difficulty removing the sheet P from the discharge tray 24 due to an increase in the length of the operation panel 5 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0060] (Internal structure of the rear side of the operation panel 5) Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the rear side of operation panel 5 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the configuration of front surface 562 side of panel substrate 56 included in operation panel 5 shown in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 7, operation panel 5 has panel substrate 56 and a plurality of fixing members 57.

[0061] The panel substrate 56 is disposed on the opposite side of the panel cover 51 with respect to the touch display 54. In other words, the touch display 54 is disposed between the panel cover 51 and the panel substrate 56. A back surface 561 of the panel substrate 56 shown in FIG. 7 is the surface opposite to a front surface 562 of the panel substrate 56 shown in FIG. 8.

[0062] The panel substrate 56 is used to control the touch display 54. The panel substrate 56 is a substantially rectangular, plate-shaped circuit board, and is equipped with a control circuit, etc. The control circuit equipped on the panel substrate 56 has the function of controlling the touch display 54.

[0063] The upper side in the vertical direction means the upper side in Fig. 7 of the center position MP of the operation panel 5 in the front-to-back direction of the multifunction device 1, i.e., the image reading unit 3 side. The lower side in the vertical direction means the lower side in Fig. 7 of the center position MP of the operation panel 5 in the front-to-back direction of the multifunction device 1, i.e., the front side of the multifunction device 1.

[0064] The panel substrate 56 is electrically connected to the communication substrate 53 by a flexible wiring W1 on the vertically upper side of the panel cover 51. Specifically, a connector 58 is provided on the panel substrate 56, and the flexible wiring W1 electrically connected to the communication substrate 53 is inserted into the connector 58, thereby electrically connecting the panel substrate 56 to the communication substrate 53.

[0065] Since the flexible wiring W1 is located on the vertically upper side of the panel cover 51, the flexible wiring W1 is less susceptible to static electricity generated by the user when the user approaches the vertically lower side of the panel cover 51. The flexible wiring W1 is, for example, a flat flexible wiring such as an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) or an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit).

[0066] 7 and 8, the panel substrate 56 has a first portion P1 and a second portion P2. The first portion P1 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 surrounded by a dotted line P1, and the second portion P2 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 surrounded by a dotted line P2. The first portion P1 does not have a conductive pattern 563. The second portion P2 has a conductive pattern 563.

[0067] 8, for convenience of explanation, only a portion of the conductive pattern 563 in the area surrounded by the dotted line P2 is shown. The conductive pattern 563 may be, for example, a printed pattern formed from a conductive ink or a conductive paste as a substantially thin plate-shaped conductive member, or may be formed by plating, etching, an inkjet method, a press method, or the like.

[0068] Furthermore, when viewed from a direction D1 perpendicular to the panel substrate 56, the antenna 52 of the communication substrate 53 overlaps with the first portion P1 of the panel substrate 56, but the antenna 52 of the communication substrate 53 does not overlap with the second portion P2 of the panel substrate 56. This makes it possible to prevent the conductive pattern 563 from affecting communication between the antenna 52 and an external device, i.e., to prevent radio wave interference.

[0069] Therefore, it is possible to overlap a part of the panel substrate 56 and a part of the communication substrate 53 while ensuring the stability of communication between the antenna 52 and the external device. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the stability of communication between the antenna 52 and the external device and the miniaturization of the operation panel 5. A part of the communication substrate 53 is disposed between the panel cover 51 and the panel substrate 56.

[0070] Furthermore, by leaving the first portion P1, which is the portion of the panel substrate 56 that overlaps with the communication substrate 53, uncut, the strength of the portion of the panel substrate 56 near the fixing member 57, which is below the first portion P1 in Figure 7, can be sufficiently maintained.

[0071] Furthermore, functions that do not require a conductive pattern can be realized using the first portion P1, such as by contacting the ribs or bosses of the panel cover 51 with the first portion P1 of the panel substrate 56 to align the panel substrate 56 with the panel cover 51.

[0072] Furthermore, by leaving the first portion P1 uncut, the irregularities in the outer shape of the panel substrate 56 can be reduced, making it easier for a worker to hold the panel substrate 56 when assembling it to the panel cover 51, and facilitating assembly.

[0073] Consider a case where it is checked whether the position of the end of the first portion P1 on the communication board 53 side and the position of the end of the reinforcing plate W2, such as an insulating film, provided on the flexible wiring W1 on the communication board 53 side are aligned in the left-right direction. In this case, it can be checked whether the flexible wiring W1 is fully inserted into the connector 58.

[0074] When viewed from a direction D1 perpendicular to the panel substrate 56, the switch 55 is provided in a portion of the panel substrate 56 between the antenna 52 and the touch display 54. The first portion P1 is disposed between the antenna 52 and the switch 55. In this configuration, the force applied to the switch 55 can be supported by the first portion P1. This reduces bending of the panel substrate 56 when the user presses the switch 55, and suppresses mechanical stress applied to elements on the panel substrate 56 due to bending of the panel substrate 56.

[0075] The fixing member 57 is, for example, a screw such as a bolt. The fixing member 57 penetrates the panel substrate 56 from the back surface 561 of the panel substrate 56 toward the front surface 562 of the panel substrate 56, and is coupled to the panel cover 51. In this way, the fixing member 57 fixes the panel substrate 56 to the panel cover 51.

[0076] Some of the fixing members 57 are located near the first portion P1. By fixing the panel substrate 56 to the panel cover 51, bending of the panel substrate 56 when the user presses the switch 55 can be reduced, and mechanical stress applied to the elements on the panel substrate 56 due to bending of the panel substrate 56 can be suppressed.

[0077] If a boss were provided on panel cover 51 instead of fixing member 57, there is a possibility that the panel substrate 56 will bend if a user touches operation panel 5 when the boss is not high enough due to manufacturing variations in operation panel 5. Therefore, it is preferable to use fixing member 57 in addition to using only a boss.

[0078] 8, the second portion P2 includes a third portion P3. The third portion P3 is a portion of the panel substrate 56 that is surrounded by a dotted line P3. The third portion P3 does not include any conductive patterns 563 other than the conductive pattern 563 that is electrically connected to the switch 55. Note that the third portion P3 may be provided with a light source such as a light-emitting diode. In this case, the third portion P3 does not include any conductive patterns 563 other than the conductive pattern 563 that is electrically connected to the switch 55 and the light source.

[0079] As a result, it is possible to realize a multifunction peripheral 1 including an operation panel 5 that can achieve both stable communication between the antenna 52 and external devices and a compact operation panel 5. Furthermore, since the image reading unit 3 on which the operation panel 5 is provided is disposed above the image forming unit 2, the sheet P ejected from the image forming unit 2 does not cover the operation panel 5, making it easy for the user to operate the operation panel 5.

[0080] [Embodiment 2] A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[0081] Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a multifunction peripheral 1A according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 9, the multifunction peripheral 1A differs from the multifunction peripheral 1 in that the operation panel 5 is replaced with an operation panel 5A. Compared to the operation panel 5, the operation panel 5A is longer in the left-right direction and shorter in the front-to-back direction.

[0082] Mark 513 on top surface 50A of operation panel 5A is in area A2. When operation panel 5A is viewed from the front of multifunction device 1A with document cover 4 closed, area A2 is on the front side of top surface 50A relative to handhold 43. Area A2 is also located inside the left-right ends of handhold 43 of multifunction device 1A.

[0083] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1, 1A Multifunction printer 2 Image forming unit 3 Image scanning unit 4 Document cover 5, 5A Operation panel 24 Output tray 32 Contact glass 43 Handle 50, 50A Top 51 Panel cover 52 Antenna 53 Communication board 54 Touch display 55 Switch 61 IC card 511 First opening 513 Mark 551 Top E1 One end P sheet

Claims

1. an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and has an ejection tray on an upper surface thereof for receiving the sheet on which the image has been formed; an image reading unit that reads an image from a document, the image reading unit having a document placement surface on which a document to be read can be placed, the image reading unit being disposed above the discharge tray; a document cover that opens and closes the document placement surface of the image reading unit; an operation panel provided on a side of the image reading unit, the operation panel including a communication unit that performs short-range wireless communication with an external device and a panel cover that covers the communication unit and has an upper surface on which a mark indicating the position of the communication unit is provided; A multifunction peripheral comprising: the document cover has a handle portion on the front side of the multifunction machine that is recessed from the front to the rear of the multifunction machine when the document cover is closed and that is recessed from the bottom surface of the multifunction machine to the top, When the operation panel is viewed from the front of the multifunction printer with the document cover closed, the mark is on the top surface of the panel cover, on the front side of the multifunction printer relative to the handle portion, and is located in a part of the multifunction printer that is inward in the left-right direction from both ends of the left-right direction of the multifunction printer at the handle portion.

2. the operation panel is provided from one side end of the image reading unit to the vicinity of the center, The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1 , wherein the mark is arranged near the center of a side of the image reading unit.

3. the operation panel is provided from one side end of the image reading unit to the vicinity of the center, the handle is disposed near the center of a side of the image reading unit when the document cover is closed, The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1 , wherein the mark is arranged on the handle portion closer to the one end of the image reading unit when the document cover is closed.

4. The operation panel includes: a touch display disposed in an opening of the panel cover and configured to receive input operations from a user; a switch; the switch is disposed between the touch display and the mark; The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the switch is located below an upper surface of the panel cover.

5. The multifunction peripheral according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is a pattern antenna provided on a substrate of the operation panel.

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