Abstract:
A housing including a first member, a second member, a first locking mechanism, and a second locking mechanism. The first member is configured to engage with second member. The first locking mechanism locks the first member to the second member, and unlocks in accordance with pressure provided from external of the housing. And the second locking mechanism locks the first member to the second member, and unlocks by rotating either of the first member or the second member at the second locking mechanism.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention is directed to a housing, an operation panel including the housing, and an image forming apparatus including the operation panel. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a housing that can accommodate elements in its inner area and that can be locked and unlocked. An operation panel includes the housing and an image forming apparatus includes the operation panel.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Background Art  
         [0004]     In recent years, manufacturing processes have been separated and are often performed at different sites, for flexibility and cost efficient reasons. For example, a manufacturing operation may produce a unit A that includes a housing or an exterior portion of an overall product at a first factory, and may produce parts that are to be mounted inside of the housing at a second factory. Those parts will then be later assembled into a completed product.  
         [0005]     Such a manufacturing operation is becoming increasingly popular from a point of view of a so-called international division of labor or international specification. From an international point of view, it may be more efficient to spread out the manufacturing process of a product such that certain units are produced in a country that has low cost labor and completed products or more sensitive products can be made in another country, for example where the completed products are to be sold.  
         [0006]     Such a so-called international division of labor does lead to certain complications. Specifically, different lead times for each production unit or section that forms a part of a completed product have to be addressed.  
         [0007]     As is often the case in such situations, units or sections are transferred individually in a condition in which they are tentatively or temporarily assembled, for example to another facility where the completed product will be made. Then, when those tentatively assembled products reach the final assembly site at least certain of the parts must be taken apart and then reassembled to complete the final product by being combined with other sections made for example at other sites.  
         [0008]     In general, the tentative assembly and the final assembly at least in some ways use the same steps and operations. As a result, often the time spent for the tentatively assembly can be as much as or close to the time spent for a final assembly.  
         [0009]     Another factor to consider is that if the tentative assembly is too thorough of an assembly, parts may be broken by accident when the tentative assembly must be taken apart. On the other hand, if the tentative assembly is too weak and the parts are too easy to take apart, the units or sections may become separated during transit or at an undesired time.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel housing that can be used in an assembly operation efficiently and effectively.  
         [0011]     A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel housing that can be tentatively assembled in a short period of time.  
         [0012]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel housing that after being tentatively assembled in a short period of time can be taken apart in a short period of time.  
         [0013]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel operation panel using such a novel housing that can have a more efficient, and thereby less costly, production process.  
         [0014]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel image forming apparatus including the novel operation panel that can thereby have a more efficient, and thereby less costly, production process.  
         [0015]     The present invention achieves the above-noted operation by providing a novel housing, which for example can be used in an operation panel, and the operation panel in turn can be used in an image forming apparatus.  
         [0016]     The novel housing includes a first member and a second member configured to be engaged with the first member. A first locking mechanism locks the first member to the second member, and can be unlocked with pressure provided externally of the housing. A second locking mechanism locks the first member to the second member, and is located in a different portion from the first locking member, and can be unlocked by rotating either of the first member or the second member at the second locking member. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is an external view showing a copier in an embodiment according to the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the operation panel of the copier shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3A  is a plane view showing a cover of the operation panel shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 3B  is a side elevation showing a cover of the operation panel shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a relation of a cover, boards, and a display unit in the above-mentioned embodiment.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a display unit in the above-mentioned embodiment.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6A  is a plane view showing a base of the operation panel in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 6B  is a side elevation showing a base of the operation panel in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a cross-section view of  FIG. 2  along the line A-A with certain omitted elements.  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing a second locking device in a condition of a cover engaged with a base.  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a first locking device in a condition of a cover engaged with a base.  
         [0029]      FIG. 10  is sectional view for explaining a flexible plate and a claw formed at a head portion of the flexible plate in the above-mentioned embodiment.  
         [0030]      FIG. 11A  is a sectional view showing a cross-section view of  FIG. 2  along the line B-B with certain omitted elements.  
         [0031]      FIG. 11B  is a sectional view showing a cross-section view of  FIG. 2  along the line C-C with certain omitted elements.  
         [0032]      FIG. 11C  is a sectional view showing a cross-section view of  FIG. 2  along the line D-D with certain omitted elements.  
         [0033]      FIG. 12  is a sectional view for explaining deconstructing operations of a cover and base that have been assembled tentatively. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , a copier  100  is shown. The copier  100  includes an operation panel  10  and a main body  20 . The operation panel  10  is fixed in an upper end of the front of the main body  20 . The main body  20  operates as a copier to read documents and form images based on the read documents.  
         [0035]     The present invention can, for example, be applicable to a housing utilized for forming the operation panel  10  used in the copier  100 .  
         [0036]     The main body  20  includes a scanner device, a photo-sensitive body, a light scanning device, a developing unit, a transfer device, a fixing unit, a communication device, and a control unit. The scanner device reads image information of a manuscript. The image information is transferred to the light scanning device functioning as a light-exposing mechanism. The light scanning device exposes a surface of the photo sensitive body according to the image information for the purpose of making a latent image. The latent image on the photo sensitive body is developed using toner by the developing unit for changing the latent image into a tangible image. The tangible image on the photo-sensitive body is then transferred to a paper sheet by the transfer device. The tangible image on the paper sheet is then fixed by the fixing unit. The communication device receives input signals from the operation panel  10 . The control unit controls each of the units or devices in the main body  20  according to instructions that are included in the input signal from the operation panel  10 . In addition, an automatic document feeder (ADF) can be used for the automatic feed of manuscripts. Therefore, the main body  20  can further include the ADF.  
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the operation panel  10  includes a housing  11  having a cover (the upper cover)  16  and a base (a lower cover)  12 . The cover  16  and the base  12  are engaged mutually. The housing  11  includes boards  61 , 62 , a display unit  50 , and other parts (see  FIG. 4 ) in its internal space.  
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , the cover  16  includes a top board  16   a  and a side wall  16   b.  The top board  16   a  is substantially rectangular and has a longitudinal direction along a shown X axis direction. The side wall  16   b  is formed on the edge of the top board  16   a.  Cover  16  has a U-shape character at the YZ section. As shown in  FIG. 3A , in the center of top board  16   a,  an aperture  16   c  is provided having a longitudinal direction along the X axis direction. In the opposite direction in the X axis direction from the aperture  16   c,  there is a first interface part  18  having plural rectangular apertures that are used to insert plural push buttons for selecting functions of the copier  100 . A second interface part  19  having plural circular apertures that are used to insert plural push buttons for a numeric keypad or other function is also provided.  
         [0039]     The cover  16  can be formed, for example, by injection molding assuming it is made of plastic.  
         [0040]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the board  61  is accommodated in an internal space of the housing  11  corresponding to the first interface part  18 , and the board  62  is accommodated in an internal space of the housing  11  corresponding to the second interface part  19 .  
         [0041]     On an under surface of the top board  16   a  of the cover  16 , two cylindrical projections  72  are provided extending along a Z axis direction. On the other hand, two circular bores on the board  61  are provided corresponding to the two cylindrical projections  72 . The board  61  is attached to a lower part of the top board  16   a  of the cover  16  by screws such that projections  72  are inserted in circular bores respectively. On an under surface, which is the counter side across the aperture  16   c  of the top board  16   a,  two cylindrical projections  73  are provided extending along the Z axis direction. On the other hand, two circular bores on the board  62  are provided corresponding to the two cylindrical projections  73 . The board  62  is attached to a lower part of the top board  16   a  of the cover  16  by screws such that projections  72  are inserted in the circular bores respectively.  
         [0042]     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , display unit  50  includes a holder  51  and liquid crystal display  60  held to the holder  51 . The holder  51  has a fixing member  53  including a stick member that is S shaped at the YZ section, and an oblong frame  52  that is located at a lower end of the fixing member  53 . The holder  51  can be formed, as an example, by sheet metal processing. The liquid crystal display  60  is fixed to the holder  51  by four screws  54 .  
         [0043]     The display unit  50 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is attached to the under surface of the top board  16   a  of the cover  16  by using the four screws inserted into four corresponding bores.  
         [0044]     As shown in  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 6B , the base  12  has a bottom board  12   a  and side wall  12   d.  The bottom board  12   a  is substantially rectangular and has a longitudinal direction along an X axis direction. The side wall  12   d  is formed at a circumference of the bottom board  12   a  and has a step.  
         [0045]     The base  12  is formed, for example, by injection molding assuming it is made of plastic.  
         [0046]     The bottom board  12   a  has an underside  12   b  that is located in the rectangular part, and that is convex downward as shown in  FIG. 6B . The underside  12   b  includes the groove  12   c  that is U-shaped in plane view. The groove  12   c  is located in the edge portion of the underside  12   b  except for the edge of the Y direction. The groove  12   c  encloses a pair of depressions  12   e  that are in a line in the X direction of  FIG. 6A  and that are located adjacent to edges. In an opposite direction in the Z direction from the depressions  12   e,  two metal plates  30   a,    30   b  are fixed by plural bolts. And the bottom board  12   a  includes depressions  12   h  that are located along the edge. Each of the depressions  12   e  has a circular hole. And the bottom board  12   a  has further two depressions located in the groove  12   c.    
         [0047]     In the area of the central part of the Y-direction end of the base  12 , notch  12   f  is formed by being cut out of a part from the underside  12   b  to the side wall  12   d  as a rectangle. A pair of rectangular notches  12   g  are formed at a position shown by arrow A of  FIG. 6A  of side wall  12   d  which sandwiched notch  12   f.  The notch  12   g  is smaller than notch  12   f.    
         [0048]     As shown in  FIG. 6A  and  FIG. 7  which is a sectional view along A-A Line of  FIG. 2 , a first cover side claw  26  is engaged with a base side claw  13  at a position shown at arrow A of  FIG. 6A . The first cover side claw  26  is located inside of the side wall  16   b  of the cover  16  and the base side claw  13  is located in an upper side of the side wall  12   d  having notches  12   g  of the base  12 .  
         [0049]     On the other hand, second cover side claw  17  is engaged with a frame portion  14  at a position shown at arrow B of  FIG. 6A . The second cover side claw  17  is located inside of the side wall  16   b  of the cover  16  and frame portion  14  is located in an upper side of the side wall  16   b  of the base  12 .  
         [0050]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , which shows engaging of the second cover side claw  17  and the frame portion  14 , the second cover side claw  17  has a barb surface  17   a.  The engagement of the second cover side claw  17  and the frame portion  14  is realized by catching the barb surface  17   a  by the frame portion  14 . The barb surface  17   a  is substantially parallel with the XY plane.  
         [0051]     As shown in  FIG. 9 , the second cover side claw  26  is formed to have a shape of a triangle at its cross section. And the second cover side claw  26  has a barb surface  26   a.  The barb surface  26   a  is located in the Z direction of the second cover side claw  26  and the barb surface  26   a  is substantially parallel with the XY plane. The base side claw  13  is in a form similar to a knitting needle at the YZ section by having a flexible plate portion  13   a  and a barb  13   c.    
         [0052]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the base side claw  13  and the first cover side claw  26  engage by the barb surface  13   b  and barb surface  26   a  coming in contact at an angle α (equal to or less than 10 degrees). In other words the cover side claw  13  includes the barb  13   c  including a surface inclined at an acute angle θ against the flexible plate portion  13   a.  This acute angle is shown in  FIG. 10  as angle θ.  
         [0053]     The flexible plate portion  13   a  can bend when an external force is applied to it because the flexible plate portion  13   a  is one part of the base  12  that is formed by injection molding assuming it is made of plastic.  
         [0054]     In a so-called “tentative assembly” the cover  16  is engaged with the base  12  by the first cover side claw  26 , the base side claw  13 , the second side claw  17 , and the frame portion  14 , without requiring a more permanent fastening member such as a screw.  
         [0055]     As shown in  FIG. 11A  which is a sectional view along B-B line of  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 11B , which is a sectional view along C-C line of  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 11C , which is a sectional view along D-D line of  FIG. 2 , a “final assembly” is realized as screws  55  are inserted to circular bores that are formed at the depressions  12   h.  Also, the screws  55  arrive to the tube portions formed in the under surface of the top board  16   a  of the cover  16  through the board  61 , and the holder  51  or the board  62 . In this way, the cover  16  and base  12  are combined. Then the cover  16  and base  12  are mounted on main body  20  by bolts by the intermediary of metal plates  30   a,    30   b.    
         [0056]     In a so-called “final assembly” the cover  16  and the base  12  in a state of the tentative assembly are fixed by more permanent fastening members such as the screws  55 .  
         [0057]     According to the housing  11  in the present embodiment, two first cover side claws  26  can be formed in the edge of side wall  12   d  in the Y direction of the cover  16 , three second cover side claws can be formed in the edge of side wall  12   d  in the opposite direction of the Y direction of the cover  16 , three base side claws  13  can be formed in the edge of side wall  12   d  in the Y direction of the base  12 , and three frame portions can be formed in the edge of side wall  12   d  in the opposite direction of the Y direction of the base  12 .  
         [0058]      FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B  show an assembly and disassembly process in the present invention. Firstly, as shown in  FIG. 12A , a frame portion  14  of the base  12  is engaged with a second cover side claw  17  of the cover  16  that has been put down. Secondly, as shown in  FIG. 12A  and  FIG. 12B , base side claw  13  is engaged with first cover side claw  26  by rotating the base  12  clockwise at the portion where the second cover side claw  17  engages with frame portion  14 , i.e. the locking mechanism of the second cover side claw  17  and frame portion  14  acts as a pivot for the frame portion  14  or the cover  16 . In this way, the base  12  and the cover  16  are easily put in a state of a tentative assembly in a short time without using a tool. As noted above, three frame portions  14 , three second side claws  16 , two base side claws  13 , and two first cover side claws  26  may be utilized, although for simplicity only one of each such element is shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B .  
         [0059]     For convenience, the portion in which base side claw  13  is engaged with the first cover side claw  26  is a first engagement portion  22 , and the portion in which the frame portion  14  of the base  12  are engaged with the second cover side claw  17  of the cover  16  is a second engagement portion  21 .  
         [0060]     As shown in  FIG. 12B , the engagement between the base claw  13  and the first cover side claw  26  is released in accordance with bending of the base claw  13  by a force that is applied from the outside of the housing  11  along the arrow direction shown in  FIG. 12B . For example, the force is generated by the first cover side claw  26  being pushed with a finger. Then, the engagement between the frame portion  14  and the second cover side claw  17  is released by rotating the base  12  counterclockwise at the second engagement portion  21 , and in that way the locking mechanism of the frame portion  14  and second cover side claw  17  acts a pivot point for the frame portion  14  or for the cover  16 . The frame portion  14  and cover  16  can then be released from one another at the locking mechanism of the frame portion  16  and second cover side claw  17 . In this way, the base  12  and the cover  16  are easily taken apart in a short time without using a tool.  
         [0061]     In a case in which the first cover side claw  26  is bent by a finger, the first cover side claw  26  is pushed by the finger that is inserted to the notch  12   g,  and the thumb can catch in the depression  12   e  formed in the underside of the base. Thereby, the base side claw  13  can be easily pushed. When a pressing force greater than that required for releasing engagement acts on the base side claw  13 , the base side claw  13  is not bent more than necessary because a bending range of the base claw  13  is limited by a stopper  25 . Accordingly, the base claw  13  does not break by its plastic deformation.  
         [0062]     In addition, the operation panel  10  concerning the present embodiment accommodates the boards  61 ,  62  and display unit  50  in its inner space. Thereby, when a first factory for attaching the boards  61 ,  62  to the cover  16  is different from a second factory for attaching the display unit  50  to the cover  16 , the second factory can make a complete operation panel  10  by attaching the display unit  50  to the housing  11  after taking apart the housing  11  in the tentative assembly (board  61 ,  62  is attached).  
         [0063]     Therefore, the base  12  and the cover  16  having boards  61 ,  62  are easily made in a state of a temporary assembly without using a tool. And before attaching the display unit  50  to the housing  11  in the tentative assembly, the housing  11  is easily taken apart.  
         [0064]     Accordingly, a cost to produce the operation panel  10  can be reduced.  
         [0065]     In addition, in the state of the tentative assembly, a position of the boards  61 ,  62  is regulated by both projections  72  and cylindrical projections  73  formed in the cover  16 . Furthermore, the boards  61 ,  62  are accommodated in a stable state in the internal space of the housing  11  by being sandwiched by pipe-shaped portions  16   h  and depressions  12   h.  Accordingly, when the display unit is attached to the housing  11 , the boards  61 ,  62  need not be fixed more permanently if the boards  61 ,  62  need to be detached. Thereby, the tentative assembly can be realized in a shorter time.  
         [0066]     And the display unit  50 , like boards  61 ,  62 , is accommodated in a stable state in the internal space of the housing  11  by being sandwiched by pipe-shaped portions  16   h  and depressions  12   h.    
         [0067]     Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the base side claw  13  and the first cover side claw  26  engage by the barb surface  13   b  and barb surface  26   a  coming in contact with angle α Therefore, when a force acts in a direction for detaching the cover  16  from the base  12 , a component force is generated in a direction in which the barb  13   c  of the base side claw  13  approaches the side wall  16   c  of the cover  16 . Thereby, for example, when each operation panel  10  is taken out from a box in which plural operation panels were packed, the base  12  is not detached from the cover  16  unnecessarily.  
         [0068]     In addition, when the operation panel  10  in the state of tentative assembly is attached to the main body  20 , it is easily possible to realize the tentative assembly and taking apart of the operation panel  10  in the case of mechanical connection or inspection of a device according to need in a short time. Accordingly, as a result, it is possible to reduce the production cost of the copier  100 .  
         [0069]     The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Although the housing  11  is used for the operation panel  10  of the copier  100  in the embodiments discussed above, the housing  11  can be used for a housing in which electronic parts are packed. For instance, the housing  11  can be used for a keyboard of a personal computer.  
         [0070]     Furthermore, although a pair of base side claws  13  can be located in base  12  in the embodiments discussed above, one or plural base side claws  13  can be used. However, it is preferable for the base side claws  13  to be in a pair for a taking apart operation when the tentative assembly is dismantled by a manual procedure.  
         [0071]     In addition, although the stoppers  25  are located in the cover  16  in the embodiments discussed above, the stoppers  25  can be located in the base  12 . Also, an electronic part can be used instead of the stoppers  25 .  
         [0072]     Furthermore, although the housing  11  is used for the operation panel  16  of the copier  100  in the embodiments discussed above, the housing  11  can be used for a housing of an operation panel of an image forming apparatus, for example a printer, a facsimile, a multifunction peripheral, or the like. Such a multifunction peripheral includes plural functions selected from a copier function, a facsimile function, a printer function, and a scanner function.  
         [0073]     As discussed above, the housing of the present invention is suitable to receive electronic parts, and the operation panel of the present invention is suitable to input instructions to an image forming apparatus. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is suitable to form an image according to the instruction from the operation panel.  
         [0074]     Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.  
         [0075]     That application is based on Japanese patent application 2005-187658 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Jun. 28, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.