Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide a document reader that has a new configuration and can perform short-range radio communication.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 having an image reader 31 mounted thereon comprises: a housing 32 that is provided, on its top face, with a document platen 321 that supports a document and accommodates an image reading unit that reads an image of the document supported on the document platen 321; and a document cover 33 that is provided above the housing 32 and, centered on a rotation axis arranged at one end, can oscillate between a closing position for covering the document platen 321 at the other end and an opening position for opening the document platen 321. The other end of an ADF 34 included in the document cover 33 has an end face 34A that intersects the top face of the document platen 321 when located at the closing position, and the end face 34A is provided with an NFC mark 71 indicating a position to place an external device that performs short-range radio communication.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention , painting relates to an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an external device such as an IC card or a smartphone by short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus in which NFC is arranged on the upper surfaces of a document tray and a discharge tray of an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) constituting a document reading apparatus.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to The picture provide a novel configuration of an image forming apparatus of capable of short-range wireless communication.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The image forming apparatus (1) of the present invention includes a document table (321) for supporting a document and the rear end and a document presser (33) swingable between a closed position covering the document table (321) and an open position opening the document table (321) about a rotation axis disposed on the document table (321). Front end <...... Yes 、 An image forming apparatus (1) comprising: an image reading unit for reading an image of a document supported on the document table (321); an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, the image forming unit located below the image reading unit; and an operation panel (5) located in front of the image reading unit for operating the image forming unit and the image reading unit, wherein the image forming unit further comprises: an discharge roller (28) for discharging the sheet on which the image has been formed in the discharge direction; and an discharge tray (6) for supporting the discharged sheet; and a first surface (34A) of the image forming apparatus (1) facing a first direction, on which an object to perform short-range wireless communication is held. A mark (71) indicating a position is provided A USB port (81) is provided on the second surface (52) of the control panel (5) that faces a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the second surface (52) of the control panel (5) faces a direction intersecting the paper output direction. .

Effects of the Invention

[0007] It seems there are some parts of the text that are not fully shown in the original for lines 44 - 52 and 53 - 52 in the Chinese. I've translated as much as possible based on what's provided. If you can provide the complete text, I can give a more accurate translation.According to the present invention , A new configuration unlike anything seen before Image Formation We can provide the device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a right side view of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of AA, showing the discharge stopper in the operating position. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus for modified example 1. [Figure 7] This is a right side view of the image forming apparatus in modified example 2. [Figure 8] This is a right side view of the image forming apparatus in modified example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In the following description, we will use the image forming apparatus 1 in a ready-to-use configuration as shown in Figure 1 as a reference. The side from which the sheet tray 27 is pulled out will be defined as the front, and the opposite side as the rear. The left-right direction will be defined when viewing the image forming apparatus 1 from the front. Furthermore, the second housing 3 side of the image forming apparatus 1 will be defined as the top, and the first housing 2 side as the bottom, to define each direction. In this embodiment, the left-right direction is an example of the width direction perpendicular to the sheet discharge direction of the discharge roller 28, and is also an example of the sub-scanning direction of the document reader 31.

[0010] [Overall configuration of the image forming apparatus] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 4 is a right side view thereof, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, showing a state where a discharge stopper 62 is in a use position. The image forming apparatus 1 has a form called a so-called in-body discharge type. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a first housing 2, a second housing 3, legs 4, and an operation panel 5.

[0011] The first housing 2 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped cover 20 that constitutes the exterior. The cover 20 has a front surface 21, a rear surface 22, a left surface 23, a right surface 24, an upper surface 25, and a bottom surface 26. An opening 211 for inserting and removing a sheet tray 27 is formed at the lower part of the front surface 21.

[0012] The first housing 2 houses a sheet tray 27 that supports a sheet before image formation, a conveyance mechanism that conveys the sheet from the sheet tray 27, an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, and a discharge mechanism that conveys the sheet from the image forming unit to the outside of the first housing 2. A discharge roller 28 for discharging the sheet is provided at the most downstream portion in the conveyance direction of the discharge mechanism.

[0013] The sheet tray 27 is slidable between a storage position (the position shown in FIG. 1) where it is stored in the first housing 2 through the opening 211 and a pull-out position where it is pulled forward from the first housing 2 through the opening 211. The configuration of the image forming unit is not particularly limited, and configurations such as an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, and a thermal head method can be used.

[0014] Also, a discharge tray 6 for supporting the sheet discharged by the discharge mechanism is provided on the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2. The discharge tray 6 is formed in a shape that is inclined so as to rise while curving convexly from the rear side to the front side on the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2. Thereby, the sheet on which an image is formed is discharged to the discharge tray 6 from the rear side to the front side by the discharge mechanism.

[0015] The discharge tray 6 has a protruding portion 61 provided at the central portion in the width direction of the discharge tray 6, and a discharge stopper 62 provided on the protruding portion 61. The protruding portion 61 is a trapezoidal member that protrudes upward from the other surfaces of the discharge tray 6 and slopes downward toward the rear. The discharge stopper 62 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member whose rear end is rotatably supported by the protruding portion 61. The discharge stopper 62 swings between a storage position (the position shown in FIG. 4) that is horizontally positioned along the upper end portion of the protruding portion 61 and a use position (the position shown in FIG. 5) where the front end portion rises. When the discharge stopper 62 is in the use position, the sheet discharged onto the discharge tray 6 abuts against the discharge stopper 62 and is regulated on the discharge tray 6.

[0016] With such a protruding portion 61, even when both end portions in the width direction of the discharged sheet are curled upward, the curl can be reduced by the central portion in the width direction of the sheet being lifted and supported. Also, in a state where the sheet is supported by the discharge tray 6, a space for gripping the sheet can be formed around the protruding portion 61 under the sheet. Note that the protruding portion 61 is not an essential configuration and can be omitted.

[0017] Also, a power switch 29 of the image forming apparatus 1 is provided on the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2. The power switch 29 is preferably arranged on the front side of the discharge stopper 62 on the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2 and outside the width of the discharge tray 6 in the width direction so as to be easily visible and easy to operate. In the present embodiment, the power switch 29 is provided at the right front portion on the upper surface 25 of the first housing 2.

[0018] [[ID=lla]] The second housing 3 is located above the first housing 2 and includes a document reading device 31. The document reading device 31 has a document tray 321 on its upper surface that supports the document, and a housing 32 that houses an image reading unit that reads the image of the document supported on the document tray 321. The document reading device 31 also has a document holder 33 located above the housing 32, which is pivotable around a pivot axis located at the rear end (one example of one end) between a closed position that covers the document tray 321 and an open position that opens the document tray 321.

[0019] The document holder 33 is equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF) 34 on its upper part, which automatically transports the document to the document tray 321. The front end surface 34A of the ADF 34 is formed at an angle that intersects with the upper surface of the document tray 321 when it is in the closed position. In this embodiment, the front end surface 34A of the ADF 34 is formed at a right angle to the upper surface of the document tray 321. A motor 341, which is the drive source for the ADF 34, is provided on the rear end side of the ADF 34.

[0020] The leg portion 4 has a left leg portion 41, a right leg portion 42, and a rear leg portion 43. The left leg portion 41, the right leg portion 42, and the rear leg portion 43 are positioned at the left end, right end, and rear end, respectively, on the upper surface of the first housing 2, and lift and support the second housing 3. As a result, the second housing 3 is installed above the discharge tray 6 via a discharge space 63 through which the sheets are discharged. In addition, an opening 44 is formed on the front side of the image forming apparatus 1 by the left leg portion 41, the right leg portion 42, the upper surface of the first housing 2, and the lower surface of the second housing 3, and the discharge space 63 is open to the front through the opening 44. Therefore, the user can remove the sheets discharged into the discharge tray 6 through the opening 44.

[0021] In this embodiment, the front end surface 42A of the right leg portion 42 is positioned behind the front end surface 3A of the second housing 3. This allows the right side of the discharge space 63 to be largely open, making it easier to remove the sheets discharged into the discharge tray 6 from the right side.

[0022] The operation panel 5 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped panel, and its length in the left-right direction is shorter than the left-right length of the second housing 3. In this embodiment, the left-right length of the operation panel 5 is less than half the left-right length of the second housing 3. The operation panel 5 is provided projecting forward from the front end surface 3A of the second housing 3, such that its left end is flush with the left end of the second housing 3. There are no particular limitations on the arrangement of the operation panel 5, as long as it is provided downstream of the discharge roller 28 in the sheet discharge direction in the second housing 3. The operation panel 5 is equipped with a display device such as a liquid crystal panel and an operating device such as a touch panel and operation buttons for operating the image forming unit and image reading unit on its upper surface 51.

[0023] [NFC] As shown in Figure 2, an NFC mark 71 is printed on the front end surface 34A of the ADF 34 to indicate the position for placing an external device such as an IC card or smartphone with NFC functionality. There are no particular limitations on the size or shape of the NFC mark 71. Furthermore, the NFC mark 71 may not be printed; for example, it may be made of a translucent material, and a light source such as a light-emitting diode may be placed directly beneath the translucent material so that the mark lights up. By using this NFC mark 71 as a guide to place the external device, wireless communication can be established between the external device and the image forming apparatus 1.

[0024] In this way, by providing the NFC mark 71 on the front end surface 34A of the ADF 34, when an external device is held over the NFC mark 71, the user must keep the external device in their hand to prevent it from falling. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from opening the document holder 33 while the external device is still placed on the document reader 31. In addition, the space on the front end surface 34A, which is created by the thickness of the ADF 34, can be effectively utilized to position the NFC mark 71. Furthermore, since the NFC mark 71 is located on the user side at the top of the document reader 31, the user can easily see the NFC mark 71. Thus, it is possible to provide a document reader 31 with a novel configuration unlike any other, and an image forming apparatus 1 equipped with it.

[0025] It is preferable that the NFC mark 71 be positioned on the same side as the operation panel 5 in the width direction of the image forming apparatus 1. To achieve this, the ADF 34 on which the NFC mark 71 is located must be positioned on the same side as the operation panel 5. In this embodiment, since the ADF 34 and the operation panel 5 are located on the left side of the image forming apparatus 1, the NFC mark 71 is also located on the left side of the image forming apparatus 1, in a position that overlaps with the operation panel 5 in the left-right direction.

[0026] With this configuration, the NFC mark 71 and the control panel 5 are positioned on the same side in the width direction, allowing the user to easily see both the NFC mark 71 and the control panel 5 simply by looking in the same direction.

[0027] The NFC board 70 is positioned opposite the NFC mark 71 inside the ADF 34 in order to achieve good wireless communication with external devices. In this embodiment, the NFC board 70 is arranged along the inside of the front end surface 34A of the ADF 34, directly behind the NFC mark 71. The NFC board 70 is a roughly rectangular, plate-shaped circuit board and is equipped with a loop antenna 72, communication circuits, detection circuits, and the like.

[0028] The loop antenna 72 is positioned on the front of the NFC board 70 so as to be directly behind the NFC mark 71. The loop antenna 72 has the function of transmitting and receiving radio waves for communication with external devices. The communication circuit has the function of processing the transmitted and received radio waves as signals. The detection circuit has the function of detecting the strength of the radio waves transmitted and received by the loop antenna 72 by detecting the current flowing through the loop antenna 72.

[0029] In this embodiment, the NFC mark 71 and NFC substrate 70 are located on the front end side of the ADF 34, and the motor 341 is located on the rear end side of the ADF 34. By arranging the NFC mark 71 and NFC substrate 70 on the opposite side of the motor 341 in this way, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of communication performance due to noise from the motor 341.

[0030] [USB] As shown in Figure 4, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a USB port 81 for connecting the terminals of USB devices such as USB memory sticks and digital cameras. The USB port 81 is located on the side of the operation panel 5, closer to the center. In this embodiment, the USB port 81 is provided on the right side 52 of the operation panel 5. There are no particular limitations on the position of the USB port 81 on the right side 52 of the operation panel 5. A USB mark 82 is printed near the USB port 81 on the right side 52 of the operation panel 5. The user can recognize the location of the USB port 81 by visually checking the USB mark 82 or the USB port 81.

[0031] In this way, by positioning the USB port 81 on the side of the control panel 5 closer to the center, USB devices plugged into the USB port 81 are less likely to protrude laterally from the first housing 2 in a plan view. This reduces the risk of users bumping into and damaging USB devices, while also ensuring sufficient space for inserting and removing them. Furthermore, because the USB port 81 is positioned above the output tray 6, it is easily visible to the user. Additionally, users can easily see both the control panel 5 and the USB port 81 by simply looking in the same direction.

[0032] Furthermore, by providing the USB port 81 on the side of the control panel 5, it is possible to achieve both the visibility of the USB port 81 and the operability of the control panel 5. In addition, the NFC mark 71 is less likely to be covered by a USB device plugged into the USB port 81, and the visibility of the NFC mark 71 can be ensured even when a USB device is connected to the USB port 81.

[0033] The USB board 80 is located inside the control panel 5. The USB board 80 is a roughly rectangular, plate-shaped circuit board and is equipped with a USB port 81 and a conversion circuit. The USB port 81 is positioned so as to protrude to the right from the top surface of the USB board 80. The conversion circuit is a circuit that converts the signal lines of the USB port 81 to a predetermined pitch.

[0034] [Example 1] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus 9 of Modified Example 1. The differences between the image forming apparatus 9 of Modified Example 1 and the image forming apparatus 1 described above are that the document reader 91 does not have an ADF, and the positions of the NFC mark 92 and NFC substrate 93. Other configurations are the same as those of the image forming apparatus 1 described above. In the following descriptions of Modified Examples 1 to 3, the differences from the image forming apparatus 1 described above will be explained, and components the same as those in the image forming apparatus 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0035] The document reader 91 is equipped with a plate-shaped document holder 94, which is the same as the document holder 33 but without the ADF 34. The front end surface 94A of the document holder 94 is formed at an angle that intersects with the upper surface of the document tray 321 when it is in the closed position. In the modified example 1, the front end surface 94A of the document holder 94 is formed at a right angle to the upper surface of the document tray 321.

[0036] The NFC mark 92 is located in a position that satisfies the same conditions as the NFC mark 71 described above. In Figure 6, the NFC mark 92 is located above the operation panel 5 on the front end surface 94A of the document holder 94. The NFC substrate 93 is the NFC substrate 70 described above, shaped to match the thickness of the document holder 94, and is located inside the document holder 94, facing the NFC mark 92.

[0037] Thus, even in a configuration where the document reader 91 does not have an ADF, the same effect as that of the image forming apparatus 1 can be obtained by providing the NFC mark 92 on the front end surface 94A of the document holder 94.

[0038] [Differentiation 2] Figure 7 is a right side view of the image forming apparatus 10 of the modified example 2. The difference between the image forming apparatus 10 of the modified example 2 and the image forming apparatus 1 described above is that the operation panel 101 is pivotable, while the other configurations are the same as those of the image forming apparatus 1 described above.

[0039] The control panel 101 has a pivot shaft portion 102 extending in the left-right direction at its rear end. The pivot shaft portion 102 is rotatably supported in a recess (not shown) provided in the second housing 3. As a result, the control panel 101 can be positioned with the pivot shaft portion 102 as the pivot shaft portion 102, with its upper surface 103 tilted downwards towards the front (position shown by a solid line in Figure 7), and with the upper surface 103 as the horizontal (position shown by a solid line in Figure 7). It is pivotable between the position indicated by the dashed line. In other words, the control panel 101 is positioned so that its angle with respect to the NFC mark 71 can be displaced.

[0040] According to the configuration of Modified Example 2, the user can easily see both the NFC mark 71 and the operation panel 101 at a glance by appropriately adjusting the angle of the operation panel 101 to match their line of sight. Furthermore, even when the operation panel 101 and the NFC mark 71 are positioned close to each other, interference between the operation panel 101 and external devices held over the NFC mark 71 can be suppressed by appropriately adjusting the position of the operation panel 101, such as tilting it, resulting in superior operability.

[0041] [Difference 3] Figure 8 is a right side view of the image forming apparatus 11 of the modified example 3. The difference between the image forming apparatus 11 of the modified example 3 and the image forming apparatus 1 described above is that the operation panel 111 is pivotable, while the other configurations are the same as those of the image forming apparatus 1 described above.

[0042] The control panel 111 has a pivot shaft portion 112 that extends horizontally near the front end of its bottom surface. The pivot shaft portion 112 is rotatably supported in a recess (not shown) provided in the left leg portion 41. As a result, the control panel 111 can swing around the pivot shaft portion 112 between a horizontal position where its upper surface 113 is horizontal (shown by a solid line in Figure 8) and an inclined position where the upper surface 113 is downward sloping forward (shown by a dashed line in Figure 8). In other words, the control panel 111 is provided so that its angle with respect to the NFC mark 71 can be displaced.

[0043] According to the configuration of Modified Example 3, the user can easily see both the NFC mark 71 and the operation panel 111 at a glance by appropriately displacing the operation panel 111, such as by positioning it horizontally. Furthermore, even when the operation panel 111 and the NFC mark 71 are positioned close to each other, interference between the operation panel 111 and external devices held over the NFC mark 71 can be suppressed by appropriately displacing the operation panel 111, such as by tilting it, resulting in superior operability.

[0044] [Effects of the Embodiment] The document scanning device 91 described above includes a document tray 321 on its upper surface for supporting a document, and a housing 32 that houses an image scanning unit for scanning an image of the document supported on the document tray 321. The document scanning device 91 also includes a document holder 94 provided above the housing 32, which is pivotable around a pivot axis located at one end, with the other end covering the document tray 321 and swinging between a closed position and an open position that opens the document tray 321. The other end of the document holder 94 has a front end surface 94A that intersects with the upper surface of the document tray 321 when in the closed position. An NFC mark 92 is provided on the front end surface 94A to indicate a position for placing an external device for short-range wireless communication.

[0045] With this configuration, by providing an NFC mark 92 on the other end face of the document holder 94, when an external device is held over the NFC mark 92, the user must keep the external device in their hand to prevent it from falling. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from opening the document holder 94 while the external device is still placed on the document reader 91. In addition, since the NFC mark 92 is located on the user side at the top of the document reader 91, the user can easily see the NFC mark 92. Thus, it is possible to provide a document reader 91 with a novel configuration unlike any other.

[0046] According to the document reading device 31 described above, the document holder 33 has an ADF 34 that automatically transports the document to the document table 321, and the ADF 34 has an end face 34A.

[0047] This configuration allows for effective use of the space on the end face 34A of the ADF34.

[0048] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, the document table 321 is provided with an operation panel 5 on one side in the sub-scanning direction for operating the document reader 31, and the ADF 34 is provided on the same side as the operation panel 5 in the sub-scanning direction.

[0049] With this configuration, the NFC mark 71 and the control panel 5 are located on the same side, allowing the user to easily see both the NFC mark 71 and the control panel 5 simply by looking in the same direction.

[0050] According to the image forming apparatus 10 described above, the operation panel 101 is provided so that its angle with respect to the NFC mark 71 can be displaced.

[0051] With this configuration, by changing the angle of the control panel 101, the user can easily see both the NFC mark 71 and the control panel 101 at a glance. Furthermore, even when the control panel 101 and the NFC mark 71 are positioned close to each other, changing the angle of the control panel 101 can suppress interference with external devices held over the control panel 101 and the NFC mark 71, resulting in superior operability.

[0052] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, the operation panel 5 is formed so that its length in the sub-scanning direction is shorter than the length of the housing 32 in the sub-scanning direction, and a USB port 81 is provided on the right side 52 of the housing 32 near the center of the operation panel 5.

[0053] With this configuration, USB devices plugged into the USB port 81 are less likely to protrude to the side of the housing 32 in a plan view, thus reducing the risk of users bumping into and damaging USB devices, while also ensuring sufficient space for plugging in and unplugging USB devices.

[0054] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, the ADF 34 has a motor 341 on one end side of the document holder 33.

[0055] With this configuration, the NFC mark 71 and NFC board 70 are placed on the opposite side of the motor 341, which helps to suppress the degradation of communication performance due to noise from the motor 341.

[0056] According to the image forming apparatus 1 described above, the NFC substrate 70 for short-range wireless communication is provided in a position opposite to the NFC mark 71 inside the document holder 33.

[0057] With this configuration, good wireless communication can be achieved by placing the NFC substrate 70 near the NFC mark 71. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1, 9, 10, 11 Image forming apparatus 5, 101, 111 Control Panel 6. Discharge tray 32 cabinets 33 Manuscript holding 34. Automatic document feeder 70, 93 NFC substrates 71, 92 NFC mark (mark) 81 USB ports 321 Manuscript stand 341 Motor

Claims

1. The device includes a document tray that supports the document, a document holder whose front end is pivotable between a closed position that covers the document tray and an open position that leaves the document tray open, and an image reading unit that reads the image of the document supported on the document tray. An image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet, comprising an image forming unit located below the image reading unit, An operation panel located in front of the image reading unit for operating the image forming unit and the image reading unit, An image forming apparatus having, The image forming unit further includes a discharge roller that discharges the sheet on which the image has been formed in the discharge direction, and a discharge tray that supports the discharged sheet. A mark indicating the position for holding an object to be used for short-range wireless communication is provided on the first surface of the image forming apparatus facing the first direction, and a USB port is provided on the second surface of the operation panel facing the second direction intersecting the first direction, and the second surface of the operation panel faces the direction intersecting the discharge direction, When the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, the length of the operation panel in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the image reading unit in the left-right direction. The control panel has a second surface and a third surface that faces it in the left-right direction. The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the second surface is located closer to the center of the image forming apparatus than the third surface in the left-right direction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, the mark is located to the left end of the image forming apparatus more than the USB port.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation panel is rotatable with respect to the direction along the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front.

4. The image forming apparatus comprises a first housing that houses the image forming unit, a second housing that houses the image reading unit, and legs positioned between the first housing and the second housing that support the second housing so that it is positioned above the first housing. The leg portion comprises a left leg portion located to the left in the left-right direction when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, and a right leg portion located to the right of the left leg portion, with the discharge tray in between. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mark is located in a position that overlaps with the left leg portion in the left-right direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the image forming apparatus is viewed from the front, the mark is located between the left end of the image forming apparatus and the USB port in the left-right direction.

Images