Image forming apparatus including an operation apparatus with a button disposed on the side

• US 10,674,023 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurita, Shigeharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Dulaney, Benjamin O
• Application Number:
  US15/222,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00392 Other manual input means, e.g. digitisers or writing tablets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

A single stage side key disposed on a side surface of an operation unit, which is configured to control an image forming apparatus, includes an arm on the rear of an operation surface of the single stage side key (in a direction perpendicular to the operation surface). This configuration enables the operation unit to have a small thickness.

Claims

1. An operation apparatus for controlling an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording medium, the operation apparatus comprising:

a display unit provided on an upper surface of the operation apparatus;

a board;

a cover formed as an exterior and covering the upper surface and a side of the operation apparatus, the cover being configured to cover the board;

a button including a push surface and configured to be able to move in a direction from outside to inside the cover when the push surface is pushed, the push surface being located outside the cover at the side of the operation apparatus;

a positioning portion provided inside the cover and configured to position the button in relation to the cover, the positioning portion being located above the push surface in a thickness direction of the board; and

a pair of arm portions configured to connect the positioning portion and the button and configured to be elastically deformable to enable the button to move, the arm portion comprising;

a first end connected to the positioning portion;

a second end connected to the button, the second end being located below the first end in the thickness direction of the board;

a bent portion between the first and second ends; and

a switch mounted on the board and including an input surface to be pushed by movement of the button in a planar direction of the board due to pushing of the push surface;

wherein the button is movable in the planar direction of the board and is located below the cover and above the board in the thickness direction of the board, and

wherein the push surface is provided between the pair of arm portions in a direction perpendicular to a moving direction of the button and the thickness direction of the board when the push surface is viewed in the moving direction of the button.

2. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arm portion is disposed on each end of the button in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the button and the thickness direction of the board.

3. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning portion is fixed to the cover.

4. The operation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the display unit is configured to display an operation state of the image forming apparatus,

wherein the cover includes a first cover by which the upper surface of the operation apparatus is covered and a second cover by which a side surface of the operation apparatus is covered, and

wherein the positioning portion positions the button in relation to the first cover.

5. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the button, the arm portion, and the positioning portion are integrally formed.

6. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arm portion has an S-like shaped portion or an inverted S-like shaped portion as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the button and the thickness direction of the board.

7. An image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording medium, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a recording medium; and

the operation apparatus according to claim 1 configured to accept an operation regarding the image forming unit.

8. The operation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arm portion has a U-like shaped portion as viewed in the moving direction of the button.