Patent ID: 7702255

Claim:
An opening/closing mechanism comprising; an opening/closing member capable of opening and closing with respect to a main body; a first gear having a tooth portion and a portion with no teeth, the first gear rotating with opening and closing of the opening/closing member; a second gear engaging the first gear, provided rotatably on the main body; and a cam mechanism including a cam rotatable with the first gear and a cam contact portion making contact with the cam, wherein when the opening/closing member is opened, the second gear engages the tooth portion of the first gear and when the opening/closing member is closed, the second gear opposes the portion with no teeth of the first gear, and when the opening/closing member is rotated to be closed so that it is moved from an opening/closing angle in which the second gear opposes the tooth portion of the first gear to an opening/closing angle in which the second gear opposes the portion with no teeth of the first gear, the cam mechanism acts to bring the axes of the first gear and the second gear away from each other.