Image Forming Apparatus with Visible Sliding Panel Notification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image forming apparatuses with accommodated operation panels suffer from decreased notification performance due to the disposition of light emitting portions, which are not adequately visible when the operation panel is stored, leading to insufficient user notification.
Innovation Solution
The operation panel is designed to be slidably and rotatably mounted within the apparatus main body, allowing it to transition between fully exposed and fully stored positions, with the notification portion remaining visible in both states, and adjusting light emission intensity based on the panel's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the operation panel is accommodated in the accommodating portion to improve space utilization, then the compactness is improved, but the notification performance deteriorates when the panel is stored
Solution Approach 1:
The notification function is segmented from the operation panel and implemented as a separate light emitting portion that remains visible independently of the panel's position. This allows the notification system to operate effectively whether the panel is exposed or stored.
Solution Approach 2:
A light emitting portion acts as an intermediary notification mechanism that is positioned to remain visible from the front surface regardless of the operation panel's position. This intermediary element ensures continuous notification capability without requiring the main panel to be visible.
2Reliability
If the light emitting portion is provided on the operation panel to enable notification, then the notification function is improved, but the visibility deteriorates when the panel is accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitting portion is extracted from the operation panel structure and positioned independently on the housing. This extraction ensures that the notification element remains visible from the front surface regardless of whether the operation panel is in the exposed or accommodated position.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the operation panel. Instead of being on the panel itself, the light emitting portion is mounted on the housing in a location that maintains visibility across different panel positions, effectively using spatial repositioning to resolve the visibility issue.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, including a main body having an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording material; and an operation portion that has a display portion that displays information on image forming and a notification portion that notifies a state of the image forming apparatus, the operation portion being slidably provided in the main body between a first position where the entirety of the display portion is exposed from the apparatus main body and a second position where the display portion is stored in the main body such that at least a part of the display portion is invisible from outside the main body. The notification portion is provided in a position where the notification portion is visible from outside the main body when the operation portion is in the second position.