Patent ID: 7805105

Claim:
A closing method comprising: attaching an opening and closing member to an apparatus main body through a hinge while being openable and closable about an opening and closing shaft, the opening and closing member having a magnetic portion; rotating a closing auxiliary member provided in the opening and closing member while being rotatable about a rotating axis in parallel with the opening and closing shaft, within an angle range between a closed position of the opening and closing member and a current position of the opening and closing member in order to aid the opening and the closing of the opening and closing member, the closing auxiliary member having a fixing member for interaction with the magnetic portion; detachably holding the closing auxiliary member in the opening and closing member by a magnetic force between the magnetic portion and the fixing member; detachably releasing the closing auxiliary member from the opening and closing member, via the fixing member, by bringing an abutting portion provided in the closing auxiliary member into contact with the apparatus main body when the opening and closing member is opened at a predetermined angle from a closed state while the closing auxiliary member is held in the opening and closing member; and controlling a position of the closing auxiliary member within the angle range by bringing a rotation control portion of the closing auxiliary member into contact with a back side of the opening and closing member, while the closing auxiliary member is detachably released from the opening and closing member, and rotating the closing auxiliary member in a same direction of rotation as the opening and closing member.