Image forming device including mechanism to lock cover

• US 20030206224A1
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Akihiro, Sugiura, Toshio, Moribe, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 6,851,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/108
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers

Abstract

When a cover body at a closing position is pulled up with respect to a main body, then a lock lever attached to the cover body abuts against a hook body of the main body, regulating a rattle of the cover body with respect to the main body. When a user lifts up a multi-function peripheral device by grabbing the lock lever, the lock lever comes into engagement with the hook body, thereby preventing the lock lever from opening.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

a main body;

a cover body that is pivotally supported on the main body, wherein the cover body pivotally moves between a closing position and an opening position;

a first engagement member provided to the main body;

a second engagement member that is slidably attached to the cover body, the second engagement member being detachably engageable with the first engagement member; and

an urging member that urges the second engagement member toward the main body when the cover body is at the closing position, wherein;

when the cover body is at the closing position, the second engagement member is movable with respect to the main body between at least a contact position and an engagement position, the second engagement member at the contact position confronts the first engagement member, and the second engagement member at the engagement position engages the first engagement member; and

the second engagement member moves from the contact position to the engagement position when the second engagement member slides away from the main body.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement member and the second engagement member at the contact position hardly define a gap therebetween.

3. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the second engagement member at the contact position contacts the first engagement member.

4. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the second engagement member at the contact position comes into engagement with the first engagement member at the engagement position when the second engagement member slides away from main body while being pulled upward with respect to the main body, and the first engagement member prevents the second engagement member at the engagement position from moving further away from the main body, thereby maintaining the cover body at the closing position.

5. The image forming device according to claim 4, wherein the second engagement member at the contact position moves to a release position when the cover body slides away from the main body without being pulled upward with respect to the main body, the second engagement member at the release position allowing the cover body to pivot upward with respect to the main body to the opening position.

6. The image forming device according to of claim 1, wherein:

one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member has a projection; and

another one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member has an engagement portion for engaging the projection and a flat surface, the engagement portion being one of a concave portion and a hole portion formed with an engagement hole; and

when the second engagement member is at the contact position, the projection confronts the flat surface.

7. The image forming device according to claim 6, wherein:

the one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member has at least two projections;

the another one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member has at least two engagement portions; and

the another one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member has a reinforcement member disposed between the at least two engagement portions, the reinforcement member reinforcing the at least two engagement portions.

8. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the cover body has a protruding portion to which the second engagement member is attached, the protruding portion protruding outwardly from a side of the main body.

9. The image forming device according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement member disposed at a position retracting from a side of the main body.

10. The image forming device according to claim 1, further comprising an image reading unit mounted on the cover body for reading an image from original, and a printing unit mounted on the main body for printing images onto a recording medium.