Document Cover Closer With Cam Plate Spring Force Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing document cover closer mechanisms for office equipment, such as copying machines and scanners, face challenges in maintaining a consistent spring force over time, leading to a reduced free stop function and inadequate adjustment range for the document cover's opening and closing operation.
Innovation Solution
The document cover closer incorporates a spring force adjusting portion with cam surfaces and a sliding cam plate mechanism, allowing for fine adjustment of the spring force over a wide range through a screw-based system, ensuring the document cover can be securely opened and closed with minimal user effort and maintaining position without manual intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a coil spring is used as an urging portion in the document cover closer, then the document cover can be opened and closed with slight operation force, but the spring force decreases over time leading to reduced free stop function
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the static coil spring with a dynamic cam mechanism where the cam plate can be adjusted to different positions. This allows the urging force to be dynamically adjusted and maintained at optimal levels, preventing the degradation seen in conventional springs while keeping operation easy.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism changes the parameter of urging force by varying the cam plate position. By adjusting the cam plate along the cam surface, the spring force equivalent can be modified to compensate for degradation over time, maintaining reliable free stop function while preserving ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional spring force adjusting mechanism is used, then some adjustment capability is provided, but the adjusting range is limited and fine adjustment is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cam plate is designed to be movable along the cam surface, enabling continuous adjustment of the urging force. This dynamic adjustment mechanism provides a wide range of adjustment and allows fine precision by positioning the cam plate at specific locations along the cam profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is segmented into discrete adjustment positions along the cam surface. The cam plate can be positioned at multiple locations, each providing a specific urging force level, enabling both coarse and fine adjustment capabilities for optimal adaptability.
3Volume of moving object
If the cam plate movement distance is short, then the mechanism remains compact, but the spring force adjustment range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cam mechanism utilizes a two-dimensional cam surface rather than a simple linear adjustment path. The cam plate moves along the curved cam surface, effectively increasing the adjustment range within a compact space by utilizing spatial geometry to extend the movement path without significantly increasing overall mechanism volume.
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
This solution enables precise adjustment of the spring force, enhancing the document cover's stability and usability by allowing for a longer movement distance of the spring force adjusting cam plate, thereby maintaining the document cover's position effectively even when hands are off, and contributing to a more efficient and reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
an urging portion composed of coil springs, etc. for applying an urging force in an opening direction of the document cover
Implementation Method 2
when a disc-shaped adjusting plate constituting a rotatable spring seat is rotated around an axial direction of a coil spring of the urging portion being an axis of rotation, it moves along cam surfaces of cam portions toward the axis of rotation
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the invention is to provide a document cover closer as well as office equipment having such a document cover closer, wherein it is possible to finely adjust a spring force and to set its adjusting range within a wide range, as well as to downsize the apparatus.To achieve the above-mentioned object, in a document cover closer 5 according to the invention, a supporting part 20 is rotatably attached to an attaching part 10 being a base via a first hinge pin 81, and a lift part 30 to which the document cover is fixed is rotatably attached to the supporting part 20. In an elastic force adjusting portion 60, as the document cover is opened and the supporting part 20 is erected, the spring force adjusting screw 80 extending perpendicular to an axial direction of the first hinge pin 81 is rotated; then, as the spring force adjusting cam plate 61 moves in a forward and backward direction along cam tracks of cam surfaces 52L, 52R extending along a forward and backward direction of the second spring receiving portion 42, a spring sheet plate 70 as well moves integrally to compress or expand a first coil spring 43 and the second coil spring 44 to adjust a spring force.