Hinge and image input/output apparatus therewith

• US 20060179611A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ohara, Toshimitsu, Ishikawa, So, Utsugi, Yasushi
• Application Number:
  US11/394,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179611A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1017 the main-scanning components remaining positionally invariant with respect to one another in the sub-scanning direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0422 Media holders, covers, supports, backgrounds; Arrangements to facilitate placing of the medium H04N2201/0406 - H04N2201/0412, H04N2201/0434 take precedence

Abstract

A hinge includes a tubular base part being attached to a main body or an open/closed body, a rotation body being attached to the main body or the open/closed body, which is not attached to the base part, and supported on side wall end parts of the base part opposed to each other for rotation, the rotation body having a cam part, a wedge body being reciprocatably housed in the base part and having a slope for coming in sliding contact with the cam part when the rotation body rotates, an elastic member being housed in the base part for urging the wedge body toward the side of the rotation body, a sliding contact face being formed on the side of the wedge body from a rotation axis of the rotation body on an inner wall of the base part and bent to a concave corresponding to a parallel move path of a line almost parallel with the rotation axis, and a sliding contact part being formed in the rotation body for coming in sliding contact with the sliding contact face when the rotation body rotates.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An image input/output apparatus comprising:

a first housing for housing a printing unit, having a tube part being extended in a bottom direction from an opening formed in a ceiling of said first housing;

a second housing for housing an image read unit, being placed on said first housing; and

a hinge for swingably joining said second housing to said first housing, said hinge including

a base part fitted into the tube part, wherein said base part abuts against said tube part so that said tube part supports said base part,

a rotation body attached to said second housing and rotationally supported on the base part, and

an urging device for providing a rotation force to the rotation body in a direction of bringing said second housing away from said first housing and providing a rotation force to the base part in an opposite direction to the rotation force to the rotation body, wherein said urging device is supported by said base part.

12. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the tube part is held or fixed to a bottom of said first housing.

13. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tube part has an attachment part being fixed to a top face of said first housing.

14. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotation body is fixed to a ceiling or a bottom of said second housing.

15. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotation body is fixed to one of the ceiling and the bottom of said second housing and is held to the other. Please add the following new claim.

16. The hinge as claimed in claim 11, wherein said base part abuts against said tube part so that said tube part supports said base part.