Source: http://patents.com/us-7982923.html
Timestamp: 2018-01-19 15:50:27
Document Index: 260876334

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 2', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 40', 'art 71', 'art 40', 'art 51', 'arts 91', 'art 95', 'art 40', 'art 95', 'arts 91', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'art 58', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'art 58', 'arts 91', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'arts 91', 'art 139', 'arts 91', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'arts 91', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 139', 'art 174', 'art 174', 'art 371', 'art 372']

US Patent # 7,982,923. Image forming apparatus - Patents.com
United States Patent 7,982,923
Andoh , et al. July 19, 2011
An image forming apparatus that includes an image reading part, an image forming part to form an image on a sheet, a sheet discharge part to discharge the sheet from front to rear of the image forming apparatus, a sheet stack part to stack the sheet between the image reading part and the image forming part, a supporter provided outside the sheet stack part along a discharge direction of the sheet to form a space between the sheet stack part and the image reading part, a connector to electrically connect the image forming part with the image reading part, a bending unit provided between the image reading part and the supporter to bend back the connector in a sliding direction of the image reading part, and a bend limiter provided at a rear position of the image reading part in the sliding direction to limit bending of the connector.
Inventors: Andoh; Takayuki (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Takahashi; Takuji (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Shiraki; Takamasa (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Nanno; Shigeo (Kyoto, JP), Ohta; Yoshihide (Kanagawa-ken, JP), Hatayama; Kohji (Kanagawa-ken, JP)
Appl. No.: 12/010,742
Jan 30, 2007 [JP] 2007-019273
Nov 16, 2007 [JP] 2007-297941
Current U.S. Class: 358/474 ; 271/162; 271/4.1; 358/496; 358/498; 399/110; 399/165
Field of Search: 358/496,474,497,505,501,498,1.13,401 399/165,110,126,405,361,125,194,121 271/4.1,162,124
6628433 September 2003 Westcott et al.
6903849 June 2005 Yokota
7199910 April 2007 Manabe et al.
2009/0316547 December 2009 Worthington et al.
2002-354173 Dec., 2002 JP
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image reading part configured to read an original; an image forming part configured to form an image of the original on a sheet; a sheet discharge part configured to discharge the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming part from front to rear of a main body of the image forming apparatus; a sheet stack part configured to stack the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge part between the image reading part and the image forming part; a supporter provided outside the sheet stack part along a discharge direction of the sheet and configured to form a space between the sheet stack part and the image reading part; a connector configured to electrically connect the image forming part with the image reading part; a bending unit provided between the image reading part and the supporter and configured to bend back the connector in a sliding direction of the image reading part; and a bend limiter provided at a rear position of the image reading part in the sliding direction and configured to limit bending of the connector.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connector comprises a flat cable configured to transmit input to a motor of the image reading part.
This patent specification is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2007-019273, filed on Jan. 30, 2007, 2007-297941, filed on Nov. 16, 2007, and 2007-180236, filed on Jul. 9, 2007 in the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
This patent specification describes a novel image forming apparatus that includes an image reading part to read an original, an image forming part to form an image of the original on a sheet, a sheet discharge part to discharge the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming part from front to rear of a main body of the image forming apparatus, a sheet stack part to stack the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge part between the image reading part and the image forming part, a supporter provided outside the sheet stack part along a discharge direction of the sheet to form a space between the sheet stack part and the image reading part, a connector to electrically connect the image forming part with the image reading part, a bending unit provided between the image reading part and the supporter to bend back the connector in a sliding direction of the image reading part, and a bend limiter provided at a rear position of the image reading part in the sliding direction to limit bending of the connector.
The image forming part 2 includes drum shaped photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d, on which different color toner images are formed. In an example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, yellow, cyan, magenta, and black images are formed on the photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d, respectively. The photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are aligned in parallel at a given interval, and an intermediate transfer belt 4, which is an endless belt looped around support rollers 5 and 6 and driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 4 and functions as an intermediate transferer, faces lower sides of the photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d. Alternatively, a drum may be used as the intermediate transferer.
Configurations around the photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d are described below, based on the photoreceptor 3a located rightmost in FIG. 4, on which a yellow toner image is formed, because configurations thereof are similar to each other.
Around the photoreceptor 3a are provided, in order, a charger 7, an exposure unit including a light-scanning device 8, a developing unit 9, and a primary transferer 10 facing the photoreceptor 3a via the intermediate transfer belt 4, and a cleaner 11.
When image forming processes are started in the image forming part 2 described above, the photoreceptor 3a is rotated clockwise in FIG. 4 and the charger 7 charges the surface of the photoreceptor 3a to a predetermined polarity uniformly. The light-scanning device 8 directs laser light onto the charged surface of the photoreceptor 3a according to image information, thus forming an electrostatic latent image thereon. The electrostatic latent image is developed into a yellow toner image by the developing unit 9, and then transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 4 in a primary transfer process by the primary transferer 10. The cleaner 11 removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoreceptor 3a after the toner image is transferred therefrom.
In full color image forming, the image forming processes described above are also performed on the photoreceptors 3b, 3c, and 3d to form a cyan, magenta, and black toner images thereon. The yellow, cyan, magenta, and black toner images are superimposed sequentially one on another on the intermediate transfer belt 4, and thus a full color image is formed. The image forming apparatus 300 further includes a secondary transfer roller 12 facing the support roller 6 via the intermediate transfer belt 4.
The apparatus body 1 further includes a pair of registration rollers 13, a fixer 14, a belt cleaner 15, a pair of discharge rollers 25, and a sheet exit 25a. The discharge rollers 25 and the sheet exit 25a are located at an upper front portion of the apparatus body 1, that is, an upper right portion in FIG. 4. The sheet S is discharged in the discharge direction shown by arrow Xa onto the sheet stack surface 41 after an image is formed thereon.
After an unfixed color toner image is transferred onto the sheet S at the secondary transfer nip, the sheet S is transported to the fixer 14, which fixes the unfixed toner image with heat and pressure. The sheet S is then discharged by the discharge rollers 25 through the sheet exit 25a into the sheet stack part 40. It is to be noted that the belt cleaner 15 removes toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 4 after the color toner image is transferred therefrom.
It is to be noted that, in the present embodiment, each of the photoreceptors 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d and the charger 7, the developing device 9, and the cleaner 11 are integrated into a process cartridge. The process cartridge can be removed from and installed in the apparatus body 1 by opening the upper cover 18.
In the present embodiment, the side on which the control panel 16 is provided is a front side of the image forming apparatus 300, the apparatus body 1, and the scanner 100, and is hereinafter also simply referred to as the front side. Similarly, the sides on which the supporters 51 and 52 are provided are the right and left sides of the image forming apparatus 300 and the apparatus body 1, respectively. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 300 is a front-discharge type and the sheet exit 25a is located at the front side, and sheets are discharged from the front to a back of the apparatus body 1 onto the sheet stack part 40. In FIG. 4, a reference numeral 42 indicates a front opening of the space between the scanner 100 and the apparatus body 1, used to access the sheet stack part 40. The scanner 100 further includes a first tapered portion 137 at a lower front corner. The apparatus body 1 further includes a second tapered portion 19 above the control panel 16.
The cover pull 61 is integrated into the cover lock 60 and used to unlock the cover lock 60. The cover pull 61 is located on the sheet stack surface 41, at a portion that is covered with sheets when sheets are stacked on the sheet stack surface 41. Further, the cover lock 60 integrally includes a support shaft 62 extending in the sheet width direction shown by arrow Y in FIG. 3 and a pair of lock claws 63 at both ends of the support shaft 62. The lock claws 63 engage protrusions 1a provided on the apparatus body 1 as illustrated in FIG. 4, and are biased constantly in a direction to engage the protrusion 1a. The support shaft 62 is rotatably supported by the upper cover 18. The cover pull 61 includes a plate part whose surface is flush with or nearly flush with the sheet stack surface 41.
As described above, when a user inserts his/her hand into the concavity 44 and pulls up the cover pull 61 against the bias force that engages the lock claws 63 with the protrusion 1a, the cover lock 60 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 62 and the lock claws 63 disengage from the protrusion 1a. When the user pulls up the cover pull 61 further, the upper cover 18 is opened counterclockwise as illustrated in FIG. 5. This open direction of the upper cover 18 is identical or similar to the open direction of the platen cover 110 including the ADF 120.
Referring to FIG. 6, the ADF 120 located above the platen cover 110 includes a document table 121, a feed roller 122, a separation belt 123, and a separation prevention roller 124 at an upper portion thereof. The document table 121 accommodates an original document bundle O including a plurality of sheets. After the original document bundle O is fed by the feed roller 122, which can approach and withdraw from the original document bundle O, the original document bundle O is transported one sheet at a time and separated by the separation belt 123 and the separation prevention roller 124. The separation belt 123 presses against the separation prevention roller 124 at a given angle .theta..
The separation belt 123 is looped around a driving roller 125 including a shaft 125a and a driven roller 126. A spring 127 biases the driven roller 126 to apply a constant tension to the separation belt 123. Between the driving roller 125 and the shaft 125a, a one-way clutch 128 is provided to rotatably drive the driving roller 125 clockwise in FIG. 6, and the driven roller 126 is also rotated clockwise. Further, the separation prevention roller 124 is configured to rotate clockwise to separate one sheet from the top of the original document bundle O sandwiched between the separation belt 123 and the separation prevention roller 124.
Alternatively, the cover pull 61 may be located at a portion downstream of a portion where the trailing edge of the sheet lands on the discharge tray in the discharge direction shown by arrow Xa, or near the sheet exit 25a illustrated in FIG. 4 if the sheet falls freely, in order to attain the effect described above.
Although the sheet discharge space between the scanner 100 and the apparatus body 1 opens wide on the front side as described above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the front opening 42 illustrated in FIG. 4 decreases in size when the image forming apparatus 300 is decreased in height and depth. If the sheet discharge space is small, putting a hand in the sheet discharge space is difficult. Further, the sheets might hit the scanner 100 and a cover around the sheet exit 25a illustrated in FIG. 4 when the user removes the sheets. For example, although the scanner 100 projects backward from the back side of the apparatus body 1 in FIG. 4, the front opening 42 decreases in size if the back side of the scanner 100 is aligned with the back side of the apparatus body 1 to make the image forming apparatus 300 more compact. However, ease of sheet removal may be more important than compactness of an apparatus depending on installation site conditions. Further, the ease of sheet removal varies among users. Therefore, it is preferable that the size of the front opening 42 be adjustable and the position of the scanner 100 be selectable from plural positions to provide suitable range of usage for various user conditions.
FIG. 16 illustrates the scanner 100 from the front side, and the arrow Y indicates the sheet width direction. As illustrated in FIG. 16, the scanner 100 integrally includes rails 133 and 134 on the left and right sides thereof as a leg part. The rails 133 and 134 are also referred to as the slide contact parts. The rails 133 and 134 integrally include lower surfaces 133a and 134a as slide surfaces and projections 133b and 134b on outer side thereof, respectively. Further, the rail 133 located at the left in FIG. 16 includes a groove 133c that extends in the sliding direction shown by arrows Xa and Xb illustrated in FIG. 3.
FIG. 17 illustrates interiors of the supporters 51 and 52, and FIG. 18 illustrates a state in which the rail 133 of the scanner 100 engages the supporter 52. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the supporters 51 and 52 integrally include upper surfaces 51a and 52b that slidably contact the lower surfaces 133a and 134a of the rails 133 and 134 illustrated in FIG. 16, respectively, and thus the scanner 100 is slidably supported by the supporters 51 and 52. The supporter 52 further includes a pair of pins 55 projecting upward that engage the groove 133c on the rail 133 with a given space, respectively as illustrated in FIG. 18, thus limiting horizontal jolting of the scanner 100. The supporter 52 further includes a scanner lock mechanism to lock the scanner 100 in the sliding direction, and an operation button 70 to operate the scanner lock mechanism is provided on the left side of the supporter 52.
The supporters 51 and 52 further integrally include disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 that are shaped like rectangles without one side and located at the outer sidewall thereof, respectively. The disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 include front stoppers 53a and 54a, and rear stoppers 53b and 54b, respectively. The disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 that engage the projections 133b and 134b of the rails 133 and 134 with a given space, respectively, limit disengagement and upward jolting of the scanner 100.
Referring to FIG. 17, the supporters 51 and 52 further includes entries 51b and 52b on the back side thereof, respectively. The supporter 51 located at the right in FIG. 17 further includes a slot 51c having a length equals or substantially equals a maximum sliding stroke of the scanner 100. The supporter 52 further includes a pair of right and left sidewalls 52c and 52d extending in the sliding direction shown by arrows Xa and Xb, and a front wall 52e extending in the sheet width direction shown by arrow Y, formed at a front end thereof. Enclosed by the sidewalls 52c and 52d, and the front wall 52e, an opening 59 is formed. The shield 90 illustrated in FIG. 12 covers the opening 59.
It is to be noted that, alternatively, disengagement stoppers may be formed on the inner sidewalls of the supporters 51 and 52, a left sidewall of the supporter 51 and the right sidewall 52c, and projections may be formed on the inner sides of the rails 133 and 134. By engaging the disengagement stoppers with the projections with a given space, the disengagement and upward jolting of the scanner 100 can be limited similarly.
As described above, according to the present invention, the housing (lower case 105) of the scanner 100 integrally includes the rails 133 and 134, and the lower surface 133a and 134a of the rails 133 and 134 can slide on the upper surfaces 51a and 52a of the supporters 51 and 52, respectively, thus attaining a slide mechanism at a lower cost without additional components. Further, the rails 133 and 134 have cross sections that can provide sufficient strength to the rails 133 and 134, and the scanner 100.
If the slide mechanism does not need the advantages and effects to the extent described above, alternatively, disengagement stoppers similar to the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 may be provided on the scanner 100 and slide surfaces similar to the lower surfaces 133a and 134a of the rail 133 and 134 may be integrally provided on the supporters 51 and 52.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 are divided into the front stoppers 53a and 54a and the rear stoppers 53b and 54b. With this configuration, the front stopper 53a and 54a receive a force applied to a front portion of the scanner 100, and the rear stoppers 53b and 54b receive a force applied to a rear portion of the scanner 100, thus reliably preventing disengagement of the scanner 100. Further, other components can be installed in a space between the divided disengagement stoppers.
Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 19, tapered portions 53c are provided on edge portions of the divided front stopper 53a and the rear stoppers 53b in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa, respectively. It is to be noted that tapered portions 53c are also provided on edge portions of the front stopper 54a and the rear stoppers 54b in the supporter 52 in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa, although not illustrated in FIG. 19. This configuration prevents the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 from getting stuck at edge portions of the rails 133 and 134, respectively, when the scanner 100 slides in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xb.
In FIG. 19, a reference character L indicates a length of the front stopper 53a. It is to be noted that the length of L of the front stopper 54a is similar to that of the front stopper 53a, although not illustrated in FIG. 19. The length L is set so that the rails 133 and 134 of the scanner 100 engage the front stoppers 53a and 54a and rear stoppers 53b and 54b, respectively, when the scanner 100 slides within a slidable range of the scanner 100 in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa. Therefore, when the scanner 100 is at any given position within the slidable range, the rails 133 and 134 engage the front stoppers 53a and 54a and rear stoppers 53b and 54b, respectively, and thus the upward disengagement of the scanner 100 can be reliably prevented.
The rails 133 and 134 of the scanner 100 illustrated in FIG. 16 are inserted into the entries 51b and 52b illustrated in FIG. 17, located on the back sides of the supporters 51 and 52, respectively, and are slid forward in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xb. After the scanner 100 is thus inserted into the supporters 51 and 52, the upper over 18 is opened with respect to the apparatus body 1 as illustrated in FIG. 5, and a step screw 56 is inserted into the slot 51c from an under side of the supporter 51 and further engaged with the rail 134 as illustrated in FIGS. 20A and 20B. As described above, the slot 51c on the supporter 51 illustrated in FIG. 17 has a length equal or substantially equal to the maximum sliding stroke of the scanner 100. The step screw 56 prevents the scanner 100 from falling backward when the scanner 100 slides in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa. FIG. 20A illustrates an initial state of the scanner 100, and FIG. 20B illustrates a state in which the scanner 100 is at a rearmost position after sliding for the maximum sliding stroke on the supporters 51 and 52 in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa.
When the scanner 100 is detached from the supporters 51 and 52, the steps described above are performed in reverse. That is, firstly, the step screw pin 56 is removed from the slot 51c.
FIG. 21 illustrates an interior of the supporter 52 on which the operation button 70 is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 21, the operation button 70 includes a hook 70a integrally provided thereto and an axis part 71.
As illustrated in FIG. 22, a plurality of cutouts 135 are provided on the rail 133 of the scanner 100, and a torsion coil spring 72 is attached to the axis portion 71 and biases the operation button 70 constantly outside of the supporter 52. The hook 70a engages one of the cutouts 135 when the torsion coil spring 72 biases the operation button 70 outside of the supporter 52, thus locking the scanner 100 in the sliding direction. When the user presses the operation button 70 appearing on the outside of the supporter 52 to counter the bias force of the torsion coil spring 72, the hook 70a is disengaged from the cutout 135 and the scanner 100 becomes slidable. In the present embodiment, three cutouts 135 are provided on the rail 133, that is, the scanner 100 can be locked at three different positions by the cutouts 135.
As described above, horizontal jolting of the scanner 100 is limited by the pins 55 engaging the groove 133c as illustrated in FIG. 18. However, the distance between the pins 55 is limited because various functional components are included in the supporter 52. Further, to reduce cost, the pins 55 are formed on a plastic member to which the sheet stack part 40 and the supporters 51 and 52 are integrally provided. Similarly, the groove 133c is formed on a plastic member to which the housing of the scanner 100 is integrally provided. Therefore, the pins 55 and the groove 133c are limited in engagement accuracy and more liable to deform than metal. Therefore, even when the scanner 100 is locked in the sliding direction, the scanner 100 jolts horizontally with respect to the supporters 51 and 52 and is laterally unbalanced.
As illustrated in FIG. 23, a lock member 80 is provided in the supporter 51 and connected to the operation button 70 by a flexible wire 82. A wire holder 57 including a guide 57a is provided on the back surface of the upper cover 18 that is integrated with the supporters 51 and 52. A vertically rotatable pendulum 75 is attached to the supporter 52 at a position close to the operation button 70.
As illustrated in FIG. 24, the lock member 80 is cylindrical and includes a conically shaped head. The lock member 80 is biased upward constantly by a compression spring 81 so as to engage one of grooves 136 provided in the rail 134 of the scanner 100. The compression spring 81 includes an upper end engaging a spring engagement part provided on a lower portion of the lock member 80 and a lower end engaging a spring engagement part 51d provided on the supporter 51. Each of the rails 133 and 134 further includes a tapered portion 133d provided at an edge thereof, although FIG. 24 illustrates only the rail 134. These tapered portions 133d on the rails 133 and 144 and the tapered portions 53c on the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 illustrated in FIG. 19 prevent the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 from getting stuck at the edges of the rails 133 and 134, respectively, when the scanner 100 slides in the sliding direction.
The wire 82, which connects the operation button 70 and the lock member 80, is bent at a right edge thereof (the side of supporter 51), at about 90 degrees from a back surface of the paper on which FIG. 23 is drawn to a front surface of that paper. That is, the wire 82 is bent upward in FIG. 24 from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the paper on which FIG. 24 is drawn and engages a hook engagement part on the lock member 80. Therefore, the user can operate the two lock mechanisms in conjunction with each other by pressing the operation button 70. Further, the wire 82 is guided by the guide 57a, a groove, not shown, provided on the ribs on the back surface of the upper cover 18 and the supporters 51 and 52, etc., so as not to become loose. The lock mechanisms in the right and left supporters 51 and 52 can be connected to each other readily with fewer components by using the wire 80, even if a path therebetween is complicated.
As described above, the upward disengagement of the scanner 100 is prevented by the disengagement stoppers 53 and 54 that engage the rails 133 and 134, respectively, as illustrated in FIGS. 16 through 18. Further, each of the supporters 51 and 52 should have a sufficient length in the front and back direction because users might apply a force from above to the scanner 100 that is slidable on the supporters 51 and 52, for example, by putting his/her hand thereon. In particular, in the supporter 52, the upper surface 52a and the disengagement stopper 54 are extended to the front side as far as possible for right-handed users.
However, when the user slides the scanner 100 backward for better visibility of the sheet, the upper surface 52a and the front stopper 54a provided in the front portion on the upper side of the supporter 52 are exposed. Although it poses no problem when the upper side is simply flat, it might cause a safety problem because a bumpy part (the upper surface 52a and the front stopper 54a) is exposed when the upper side serves as a slide supporter, or a slide mechanism, and includes an engagement part to prevent disengagement of the scanner 100.
To solve the problem described above, the supporter 52 may have a flat surface without an engagement part on the front portion thereof. In this case, the flat surface should have a height higher than that of a slide contact surface between the upper surface 52a and the lower surface 133a illustrated in FIG. 18, which is hereinafter also referred to as the boundary surface. Otherwise, the slide surface of the scanner 100 might protrude from the front side, forming a space thereunder. If the exterior of the image forming apparatus 300 includes such a space in the sliding direction, a users' hand, clothing, etc. might get caught therein when the scanner 100 slides, thus posing a safety problem.
When the scanner 100 is configured so that the projection is housed in the supporter 52 with the boundary surface maintained, the opening 59 illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 21 is formed by an exterior maintaining the boundary surface and a space to house the projection. As illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 21, the opening 59 is formed in the front edge portion of the supporter 52 in the sliding direction shown by arrows Xa and Xb. To enhance strength of the supporter 52, particularly the front stopper 54a, this front edge portion is formed continuously by the pair of sidewalls 52c and 52d and the front wall 52e forming a single integrated unit.
As illustrated in FIG. 26, the shield 90 includes shaft parts 91a and 91b on which the shield 90 pivots, shield surfaces 92 and 97 to shield the opening 59, first and second holders 93a and 93b, pivot limiters 94a, 94b, and 94c, a spring attachment part 95, and a stopper 96. The second holder 93b is shaped like a hook. These components of the shield 90 are integrally formed with a plastic that is identical or similar to the plastic used for the sheet stack part 40 and the supporters 51 and 52.
Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, a torsion spring 98 is wound around the spring attachment part 95 located between the shaft parts 91a and 91b. The torsion spring 98 includes a first end 98a to be engaged with the first and second holders 93a and 93b and a second end 98b to be engaged with a spring engagement part 58a on a bottom wall of the supporter 52 shown by a dashed-dot line in FIG. 28. More specifically, the first end 98a is sandwiched between the first and second holders 93a and 93b so as not to disengage therefrom. The torsion spring 98 thus attached to the shield 90 and the supporter 52 transmits a torsion moment to the shield 90. The supporter 52 further includes a stopper engagement part 58d on the inner side of the sidewall 52d.
Each of the shaft parts 91a and 91b includes an oval cutout having a width smaller than a diameter thereof. The supporter 52 further integrally includes bearings 58b and 58c provided on the sidewalls 52c and 52d, having upward openings whose widths are larger than the widths of the oval cutouts of shaft parts 91a and 91b, respectively.
With the configuration described above, as illustrated in FIGS. 29 and 30, the shaft parts 91a and 91b of the shield 90 can be inserted easily from a circumferential direction into the bearings 58b and 58c that face the shaft parts 91a and 91b, respectively. When the shaft parts 91a and 91b are thus inserted into the bearings 58b and 58c and the shield 90 is mounted on the front edge portion of the supporter 52, the second end 98b of the torsion spring 98 contacts the spring engagement part 58a and is engaged therewith.
After the shield 90 is inserted into the bearing 58b and 58c as illustrated in FIG. 30, the shield 90 is pivoted on the shaft parts 91a and 91b toward the front wall 52e of the supporter 52. While the shield 90 is thus moving to its usage range, the torsion spring 98 constantly applies an elastic force and a bias force to the shield 90 in a direction of the first position (shield position). In this state, the stopper 96 prevents the shield 90 from returning to a position where the shield 90 is mounted at the start of installation and the oval cutouts on the shaft parts 91a and 91b from disengaging from the bearings 58b and 58c, respectively. The stopper 96 is configured to bend in a rotary axis direction of the shield 90. As the shield 90 pivots on the shaft parts 91a and 91b, the stopper 96 contacts the stopper engagement part 58d provided in the supporter 52 and bends to an extent to go over the stopper engagement part 58d. After going over the stopper engagement part 58d, the stopper 96 remains astride the stopper engagement part 58d. This configuration prevents the oval cutouts on the shaft parts 91a and 91b from returning to the upward openings of the bearings 58b and 58c, respectively, thus preventing the shield 90 from disengaging from the opening 59.
The shield surfaces 92 and 97 that cover the opening 59 selectably and the pivot limiters 94a, 94b, and 94c are described below, together with operation of the shield 90, referring to FIGS. 31A through 33.
The shield 90 operates in conjunction with the sliding of the scanner 100. As described above with reference to FIG. 12, the engagement part 139 shaped like a plate projecting downward is integrally provided on a bottom wall of the scanner 100, at a position beneath the driving motor 131. FIG. 33 is an enlarged illustration of the engagement part 139 and the shield 90. As illustrated in FIG. 33, the engagement part 139 is a type of cam having an outline such as to engage the pivot limiters 94a and 94c and slide thereon selectably within the slidable range of the scanner 100, and includes a downward projecting surface at a back edge portion thereof on a left side and a front projection at a right side in FIG. 33.
The pivot limiter 94a limits pivoting (displacement) of the shield 90 when contacting a facing member, the engagement part 139 provided in the scanner 100. The scanner 100 is slid from the back side of the apparatus body 1 in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xb and mounted on the apparatus body 1 as illustrated in FIG. 31B. While the scanner 100 is sliding in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xb to counter the bias force of the torsion spring 98 illustrated in FIG. 30, a front edge portion of the engagement part 139 contacts the pivot limiter 94a before the scanner 100 reaches a position illustrated in FIGS. 31B and 32A. This contact between the engagement part 139 and the pivot limiter 94a causes the shield 90 to pivot about the shaft parts 91a and 91b clockwise in FIG. 32A, and then the back edge portion of the engagement part 139 further causes the shield 90 to pivot clockwise contacting the pivot limiter 94a. When the scanner 100 slides to the front edge of the supporter 52 illustrated in FIG. 31B, the shield 90 is at the standby position (standby angle) illustrated in FIG. 32A. The standby angle of the shield 90 is greater than the shield position (shield angle) and smaller than an angle at which the shield 90 is mounted.
When the scanner 100 is slid in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa to the rearmost position illustrated in FIG. 32B to facilitate removal of sheets, the shield 90 pivots on the shaft parts 91a and 91b to the shield position illustrated in FIG. 32B. The engagement part 139 and the shield 90 are configured so that only the downward projection surface of the engagement part 139 and the pivot limiter 94c engage each other when the shield 90 is at the shield position as illustrated in FIGS. 32B and 33. That is, the front projection of the engagement part 139 does not engage the pivot limiter 94a when the shield 90 is at the shield position. Further, in the state illustrated in FIG. 32B, only the shield surface 92 appears on the exterior of the apparatus body 1, and the opening 59 is covered almost completely.
More specifically, the shield surface 92 that covers the opening 59 is shaped like a surface of a cylinder whose axis is coaxial or nearly coaxial with the shaft parts 91a and 91b, which are the center of rotation of the shield 90. Therefore, the shield 90 covers the opening 59 provided on the front edge portion of the supporter 52 that contains the shield 90 while leaving no significant gap either while pivoting or at the shield position. It is preferable that the shield surface 92 be formed with a continuous circumferential surface that maintains the gap between the shield 90 and the supporter 52 at less than 1 mm wherever the scanner 100 is within the slidable range to prevent small things, such as paper clips, from falling into the opening 59.
It is to be noted that the shape of the shield surface 92 is not limited to a cylindrical surface, and alternatively may be a spherical surface whose axis is coaxial or nearly coaxial with the shaft parts 91a and 91b, which are the center of rotation of the shield 90.
Further, the shield surface 97 is shaped to be flush with a front wall of the scanner 100. More specifically, when the scanner 100 slides backward in the sliding direction shown by arrow Xa in FIG. 32B, the shield 90 pivots on the shaft parts 91a and 91b counterclockwise, biased by the torsion spring 98 illustrated in FIG. 30, and the shield surface 97 rotates upward and contacts the front wall of the scanner 100 almost completely. Therefore, the shield 90 can cover the opening 59, maintaining the gap formed with the shield 90, the sidewalls 52c and 52d, and the front wall 52e minimum, thus completely protecting users' fingers from getting caught in the opening 59 and small things, such as paper clips, from falling into the opening 59.
If the shield surface 92 is rotated upward only by the bias of the torsion spring 98, the shield surface 92 might rotate downward to expose the opening 59 when the user pushes the shield 90, thus posing a safety hazard to the user, who might get his/her fingers caught in the opening 59, as well as posing a risk that small things, such as paper clips, might fall into the opening 59. By contrast, in the present embodiment, the pivot limiter 94c illustrated in FIGS. 26 and 32B contacts the downward projection surface provided on the back edge portion of the engagement part 139 and prevents the shield surface 92 from rotating downward as illustrated in FIG. 32B, even if the user pushes the shield surface 92. That is, the pivot limiter 94c functions as a shield stopper that prevents the shield 90 from changing its position while the shield 90 is at the shield position, even when pressed. The pivot limiter 94c as the shield stopper further serves as a displacement controller that controls displacement of the shield 90 by selectably contacting the engagement part 139.
It is to be noted that the shapes of the shield surfaces 92 and 97 are not limited to those described above. For example, alternatively, the front wall 52e of the supporter 52 may be omitted and a portion corresponding thereto may be provided on the shield 90, on condition that sufficient strength is maintained thereby. In addition, although the configuration described above is suitable for a case in which slide lock positions are fixed, the opening 59 can be covered with a flat surface that is on an identical or similar surface to the slide surfaces with similar effects, regardless of the position of the scanner 100 in the sliding direction.
Further, when vertical jolting of the slide mechanism is not significant, alternatively, the torsion spring 98 may be omitted, provided that the engagement part 139 of the scanner 100 and the pivot limiter 94c of the shield 90 are enhanced in accuracy. Also in this case, the shield 90 can be maintained at the shield position illustrated in FIG. 32B leaving no significant gap.
As illustrated in FIG. 35, the platen lock 170 further includes a spring 171a and a shaft 180. The operation member 178 includes a first end to be rotatably attached to the upper cover 18 via the shaft 180 and a second end 181. The spring 171a biases the lock member 171 to rotate around the pivot 172 in a direction that causes the operation part 174 to contact the operation pin 177, thus ensuring that the operation pin 177 contacts the operation part 174.
As described above, the scanner 100 is slidable so as to increase the distance between the sheet exit 25a and the scanner 100 to enable users to better see and remove sheets on the sheet stack surface 41 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Therefore, the platen lock 170 is configured to be able to lock the platen cover 110 wherever the scanner 100 is within the slidable range. As illustrated in FIGS. 37A and 37B, the cam 179 of the operation member 178 contacts the lock intermediate member 175 both when the scanner 100 is close to and away from the front side of the apparatus body 1. That is, the longitudinal side of the lock intermediate member 175 has a length longer than that of the sliding range of the scanner 100, and the operation member 178 is located so as not to disengage from the lock intermediate member 175 throughout the slidable range of the scanner 100. Therefore, the lock intermediate member 175 and the cam 179 of the operation member 178 remain in constant contact with each other, and thus the platen lock 170 locks the platen cover 110 throughout the slidable range of the scanner 100.
Referring to FIG. 42, the upper cover lock mechanism includes a relay lever 265, a slide member 266 that is slidable in the sliding direction shown by arrows Xa and Xb, and a pin 267 attached to a front end of the slide member 266. The relay lever 265 includes a first end fixed to a left end of the support shaft 62 of the cover lock 60 and a second end that contacts the pin 267. The relay lever 265 rotates when the cover pull 61 is operated and the support shaft 62 is rotated. The slide member 266 is a long lever extending in the sliding direction shown by arrows Xa and Xb, and a slot 268 extending in the sliding direction is provided on a portion slightly backward from the center of the slide member 266. A coil spring 64 attached to the shaft 62 biases the lock claws 63 constantly to engage the protrusions 1a provided on the apparatus body 1 illustrated in FIG. 4.
On an inner side of the upper cover 18, a bracket 18a to which guide rollers 18b are attached is provided. The guide rollers 18b engage the slot 268, thus controlling a slide direction and a slidable range of the slide member 266. A tension spring 269 provided between the bracket 18a and the slide member 266 biases the slide member 266 backward constantly. At a back end of the slide member 266, which is opposite the front end to which the pin 267 is attached, a convexity 270 projecting upward is provided.
With this configuration, the flat cable 370 running from an opening 100a of the scanner 100 is bent back at a forward position of the opening 100a using the first forming part 371. Therefore, the flat cable 370 is bent without tension either when the scanner 100 is slid forward or backward as illustrated in FIGS. 51 and 55. By providing the second forming part 372 beneath the flat cable 370 and behind the bent portion, the bent portion of the flat cable 370 is prevented from hanging down and contacting components, not shown, included in the supporter 51 like the flat cable 570 of FIG. 1.
The flat cable 370 is bent back in the rail 134 and wired to controller boxes 326 and 327 provided on the rear of the apparatus as illustrated in FIGS. 51 and 55. As illustrated in FIG. 57, the flat cable 370 and harnesses 329 are connected to a controller board 328 included in the controller boxes 326 and 327 via connectors 328a and 328b, respectively.
The controller board 328 of FIG. 57 includes connectors for signal lines on the left and right to receive the corresponding left and right signal lines running from the rails. Therefore, the signal lines can be shortened. Further, the connector 328a for the flat cable is provided on the right of the apparatus and the connector 328b for the harness is provided on the left of the apparatus.
For example, as illustrated in FIG. 58, the bend limiter 373 includes a component 373a having a planar shape to bias the flat cable 370. In this case, the plane contact with the flat cable 370 limits the movement of the flat cable 370 more firmly. The bend limiter 373 including the component 373a is applied to limit the movement of a signal line that does not have a planar shape, as the flat cable 370 does.
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