IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20100085608A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oki Data Corporation (OKI Electric Industry Company Limited)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0053 Discharge tray in cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00551 Top covers or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00559 Mounting or support of components or elements H04N1/00538 takes precedence

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit having an upper cover to be freely opened and closed; an original reading unit disposed above the original forming unit; and a guide mechanism for moving and positioning the original reading unit over the image forming unit between a backside of the image forming apparatus and a front side of the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming unit having an upper cover to be freely opened and closed;

an original reading unit disposed above the original forming unit; and

a guide mechanism for moving and positioning the original reading unit over the image forming unit between a backside of the image forming apparatus and a front side of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide mechanism includes a pair of wall portions disposed on upper both sides of the image forming unit;

guide grooves formed in the wall portions; and

a protrusion protruding from both sides of the original reading unit for engaging the guide grooves to be slidable.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said guide groove includes a guide groove main portion extending in a horizontal direction.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said guide groove includes a first positioning groove end portion at one end portion of the guide groove main portion for engaging the protrusion, and a second positioning groove end portion at the other end portion of the guide groove main portion for engaging the protrusion.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said guide groove includes a positioning groove end portion at a position obliquely below one end portion of the guide groove main portion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said protrusion includes a first protrusion for engaging the first positioning groove end portion upon sliding, and a second protrusion for engaging the second positioning groove end portion upon sliding.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wall portion includes an opening portion communicating with the guide groove.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said guide groove includes a first positioning recess portion at one end portion of the guide groove main portion for engaging the protrusion, and a second positioning recess portion at the other end portion of the guide groove main portion for engaging the protrusion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion includes a movable protrusion freely movable from the both sides of the original reading unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said original reading unit includes a lever portion for operating the movable protrusion to move.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an arm portion for retracting the movable protrusion relative to the original reading unit when the lever portion moves to protrude from the original reading unit.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion has a cylindrical column shape.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said movable protrusion has a polygonal column shape.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said movable protrusion has a hexagonal column shape.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first positioning groove end portion is disposed on the backside of the image forming apparatus relative to the second positioning groove end portion.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first protrusion is disposed on the backside of the image forming apparatus relative to the second protrusion.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said wall portion includes an opening portion communicating with the guide groove at a position where the second protrusion freely move when the first protrusion engages with the first positioning groove end portion.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said protrusion is symmetrically disposed on the both sides of the original reading unit.