Rotatable Display Support for Image Forming Apparatus Access

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image forming apparatuses face challenges in displaying vertically or horizontally oriented images on a display unit without compromising visibility or obstructing access to other functional components.

Innovation Solution

The image forming apparatus incorporates a support mechanism that allows the display unit to rotate between horizontally-long and vertically-long attitudes, ensuring the display unit's orientation aligns with the image orientation and maintains accessibility to other features.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the display unit is fixed in a horizontally-long attitude, then the display unit can display horizontally-oriented images, but the display unit cannot display vertically-oriented images without rotation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay orientation adaptabilityVSAvoidsupport mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display unit is made rotatable about a vertical axis through the support mechanism, allowing it to dynamically change orientation between horizontally-long and vertically-long attitudes. This dynamic adjustment enables the display unit to adapt to different image orientations (horizontal and vertical) while maintaining a relatively simple support structure consisting of a rotating plate and positioning members.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display unit is rotated to vertically-long attitude, then vertically-oriented images can be displayed, but the display unit may obstruct access to other functional components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay orientation adaptabilityVSAvoidaccess to functional components
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rotatable support mechanism allows the display unit to be dynamically positioned in either horizontally-long or vertically-long attitude according to the orientation of the image to be displayed. When vertically-oriented images need to be displayed, the display unit rotates to vertically-long attitude, and when horizontally-oriented images are displayed, it returns to horizontally-long attitude, thus avoiding obstruction to other functional components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the display unit is made rotatable, then both horizontal and vertical image orientations can be supported, but the positioning precision and stability during rotation may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay orientation adaptabilityVSAvoidpositioning stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support mechanism includes positioning members that provide feedback control for the rotating display unit. These positioning members ensure that the display unit can be accurately positioned and stably held in either the horizontally-long or vertically-long attitude, preventing unintended rotation and maintaining reliable positioning during and after rotation operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4657168A1Image forming apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP4657168A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4657168A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4657168A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A support mechanism (4) supports a display unit (3) such that the display unit (3) is rotatable about a specific straight line between a horizontally-long attitude and a vertically-long attitude. The support mechanism (4) supports the display unit (3) in a state where, when the display unit (3) is in the horizontally-long attitude, a right side surface of the display unit (3) is set along a vertical plane provided along a right side surface of a main body (1). The support mechanism (4) supports the display unit (3) such that the display unit (3) is rotatable counterclockwise from the horizontally-long attitude to the vertically-long attitude. When the display unit (3) is in the horizontally-long attitude, a distance from the right side surface of the display unit (3) to the specific straight line is equal to or larger than a distance from a lower surface of the display unit (3) to the specific straight line.