Openable Cover Mechanism With Hinge Stopper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing openable cover mechanisms in image forming apparatuses often require a guide groove to prevent the cover from closing due to weight, which complicates the design and user operation, and do not provide a clear indication of the open position.
Innovation Solution
An openable cover mechanism with a hinge section, a shaft section, and a stopper section that includes a contact section and an urging section, allowing the cover to be securely fixed in the open position without a guide groove, providing a clicking sensation and reduced operational burden for the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide groove is used to prevent the cover from closing due to weight, then the cover can be held in the open position, but the design becomes more complex and user operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper section is divided into distinct functional components: a contact section that interfaces with the hinge section, and an urging section that provides the holding force. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential function of preventing cover closure from the complex guide groove structure and implements it through a simpler stopper section that works in conjunction with the hinge section's raised section. This extraction eliminates unnecessary complexity while preserving the core functionality.
2Reliability
If a guide groove is used to prevent the cover from closing, then the cover can be held open, but user operation becomes more burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The urging section automatically engages with the raised section on the hinge section when the cover reaches the open position, creating a self-latching mechanism. This self-service feature holds the cover open without requiring continuous user effort or complex manual operation, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining position stability.
3Device complexity
If a simple hinge mechanism is used, then the design is aesthetically pleasing and simple, but the cover cannot be reliably held in the open position
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the hinge section and stopper section into a coordinated system where the raised section of the hinge and the contact section with urging section work together. This combination maintains the simplicity and aesthetic appeal of a basic hinge while adding the necessary reliability to hold the cover in the open position through their integrated interaction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mechanism allows for a simple and aesthetically pleasing design without a guide groove, ensuring the cover remains open and reducing user effort, while providing a clear indication of the open position through tactile feedback.
Implementation Method 1
an urging section which urges the contact section toward the hinge section
Data Source
AI summary
An openable cover mechanism includes a shaft section disposed in a casing, a hinge section that swings around the shaft section, a cover that is supported by the hinge section and is openable and closable relative to the casing, and a stopper section supported by the casing. The stopper section includes a contact section that makes contact with the hinge section and an urging section that urges the contact section. The hinge section includes a peripheral surface in an arc shape that makes contact with the contact section, and a raised section that is raised from the first peripheral surface. When the cover moves from a closed position to an open position, the contact section slides along the peripheral surface relative to the peripheral surface and engages with the raised section to fix the cover in the open position.