Arc-Shaped Rail Hinge Eliminates Cover Support Shaft Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image forming apparatuses face challenges in miniaturization due to the need for space below the opening to accommodate the support shaft for the cover, which restricts complete opening and complicates maintenance access.
Innovation Solution
The image forming apparatus employs a hinge portion with an inner rail member, intermediate rail member, and movable rail member, allowing the cover to pivot and open fully without the need for a support shaft below the opening, utilizing an arc-shaped configuration that saves space and enables complete opening of the apparatus.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a support shaft is used to couple the cover with the apparatus main body, then the cover can be opened and closed, but space below the opening is required which prevents complete opening and complicates maintenance access
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism transitions from a conventional vertical support shaft configuration to a horizontal rail-based configuration. The intermediate rail member and movable rail member extend horizontally along the opening edge, allowing the cover to pivot in a different spatial dimension. This eliminates the need for vertical space below the opening while maintaining full opening capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge portion is divided into multiple segmented components: an inner rail member, an intermediate rail member with coupling portions, and a movable rail member. These segmented elements can be independently positioned and adjusted along the opening edge, distributing the mechanical function across multiple locations rather than requiring a single centralized support shaft below the opening.
2Reliability
If space is allocated below the opening for the support shaft, then the cover can be coupled, but the overall device size increases and miniaturization is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge functionality is merged with the opening edge structure itself. The intermediate rail member and movable rail member are positioned along the opening edge, combining the cover support function with the existing opening structure. This eliminates the need for separate space below the opening, reducing overall device volume while maintaining reliable cover coupling.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism relocates from a vertical dimension (support shaft below opening) to a horizontal dimension (rails along opening edge). This dimensional shift allows the coupling function to be achieved within the existing device footprint, preventing volume increase and enabling miniaturization.
3Ease of repair
If the cover is fully opened, then maintenance access is improved, but conventional hinge structures require space below the opening that prevents complete opening
Solution Approach 1:
The rail-based hinge mechanism extends horizontally along the opening edge rather than vertically below it, allowing the cover to pivot through a complete 180-degree or greater range. This dimensional reconfiguration removes the spatial constraint that previously limited opening extent, enabling full opening for maintenance access without requiring space below the opening.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate rail member acts as a mediator between the fixed inner rail member and the movable rail member coupled to the cover. This intermediary component facilitates the transition of the cover from closed to fully open position by providing a guided sliding path along the opening edge, enabling complete opening while maintaining structural support.
Data Source
AI summary
An image forming apparatus includes a cover and a hinge portion. The hinge portion couples the cover with an apparatus main body in openable/closable manner. The hinge portion includes an inner rail member, an intermediate rail member, and a movable rail member. The inner rail member is provided on an inner side of an opening in the apparatus main body, and is arc-shaped. The intermediate rail member is slidably supported by the inner rail member and displaced between a first position and a second position. The movable rail member includes a coupling portion and a supported portion, is slidably supported by the intermediate rail member, and when the cover is opened, is slid from a third position to a fourth position which is further outward of the opening than the third position and at which the coupling portion is disposed below a lower edge of the opening.