IMAGE FORMING APAPRATUS

• US 20120305726A1
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hyodo, Taisuke, Hashimoto, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 9,239,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/292.12
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1661 means for handling parts of the apparatus in the apparatus G03G21/1604, G03G21/1642 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1684 using extractable subframes, e.g. on rails or hinges

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a movable member equipped with an operating unit for operating the image forming apparatus, wherein the movable member can be a first state and a second state by changing its position with respect to an main body of the apparatus, and a holding unit configured to hold the movable member, wherein the direction in which the operating unit is depressed in order to operate the image forming apparatus is the direction in which the movable member is depressed when the position of the movable member is changed from the first state to the second state, and wherein the holding unit holds the movable member so that the requisite force for changing the movable member from the first state to the second state is larger than the requisite force for changing the movable member from the second state to the first state.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a movable member including an operating unit for operating the image forming apparatus, wherein the movable member can be a first state and a second state by changing its position with respect to an main body of the apparatus; and

a holding unit configured to hold the movable member,

wherein the direction in which the operating unit is depressed in order to operate the image forming apparatus is the direction in which the movable member is depressed when the position of the movable member is changed from the first state to the second state, and

wherein the holding unit holds the movable member so that a requisite force for changing the position of the movable member from the first state to the second state is larger than a requisite force for changing the position of the movable member from the second state to the first state.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the movable member and the holding unit is provided with a plurality of recesses arranged side by side, and the other of the movable member and the holding unit is provided with a protrusion capable of fit-engagement with the recesses, wherein the movable member is maintained in a predetermined position with the protrusion fit-engaged with one of the recesses.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in each of the recesses, regulating surfaces configured to regulate the releasing of the fit-engagement of the protrusion and the recess to hold the protrusion are formed,

wherein the movable member moves from the state in which the protrusion is fit-engaged with the recess, and the protrusion moves with respect to the recess, whereby the protrusion climbs over a regulating surface to release the fit-engagement with the recess to become capable of fit-engagement with another recess, and

wherein, assuming that, of the regulating surfaces, the regulating surface the protrusion climbs over when the movable member is placed in the second state from the first state is a first regulating surface, that the regulating surface the protrusion climbs over when the movable member is placed in the first state from the second state is a second regulating surface, and that the angles of the first regulating surface and the second regulating surface with respect to the moving direction of the protrusion with respect to the recess are α

and β

, respectively (α

, β

≦

90°

), the angles α and

β

satisfy the α

>

β

so that it may be more difficult for the protrusion to get over the first regulating surface than to get over the second regulating surface

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein, in the recess, regulating surfaces configured to regulate the releasing of the fit-engagement of the protrusion and to hold the protrusion are formed, and on the protrusion, contact surfaces configured to be brought into contact with the regulating surfaces are formed,

wherein the movable member moves and the protrusion moves with respect to the recess from the state in which the protrusion is fit-engaged with the recess, whereby the contact surfaces climb over the regulating surfaces to release the fit-engagement with the recess, making it possible for the protrusion to be fit-engaged with another recess, and

wherein, assuming that, of the contact surfaces, the contact surface which comes into contact with the regulating surface and climbs over the regulating surface when the movable member is placed in the second state from the first state is a first contact surface, that the contact surface which comes into contact with the regulating surface and climbs over the regulating surface when the movable member is placed in the first state from the second state is a second contact surface, and that the respective angles of the first contact surface and the second contact surface with respect to the moving direction of the protrusion with respect to the recess are γ

and δ

(γ

, δ

≦

90°

), the angles γ and

δ

satisfy γ

>

δ

, so that it may be more difficult for the protrusion to climb over the first regulating surface than the second regulating surface.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein as the movable member is moved so that the position of the movable member may be placed in the second state from the first state, the moving direction of the movable member becomes parallel to a vertical downward direction, and

wherein when the movable member is moved so that the position of the movable member is placed from the first state to the second state as the movable member becomes closer to the second state, the holding unit holds the movable member so that the requisite force for changing the position of the movable member increases.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein as the movable member is moved so that the position of the movable member may be placed in the first state from the second state, the moving direction of the movable member becomes parallel to a horizontal direction, and

wherein when the movable member is moved so that the position of the movable member is placed from the second state to the first state as the movable member becomes closer to the first state, the holding unit holds the movable member so that the requisite force for changing the position of the movable member increases.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing member moves with respect to the main body of the apparatus through rotation around its shaft, and as the opening and closing member moves from the first position to the second position, the contact position of the pressurization member and the opening and closing member moves away from the shaft of the opening and closing member.

7. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an opening and closing member movable with respect to an main body of the apparatus and capable of exposing the interior of the main body of the apparatus, wherein the opening and closing member is movable between a first position and a second position; and

a holding unit configured to hold the opening and closing member,

wherein when the opening and closing member is moved from a third position between the first position and the second position toward the second position, the opening and closing member moves at least vertically downwards, and when the opening and closing member moves from the third position toward the first position, the opening and closing member moves at least vertically upwards, and

wherein the holding unit holds the movable member so that the requisite force for starting movement of the opening and closing member from the third position toward the second position is larger than the requisite force for starting movement of the opening and closing member from the third position toward the first position.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the holding unit is provided with a pressurization member configured to impart a frictional force to the opening and closing member so as to hinder the movement of the opening and closing member by coming into contact with the opening and closing member.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the pressurization member is rotatable around a shaft, and

wherein the shaft of the pressurization member is on the downstream side of a contact position of the pressurization member and the opening and closing member with respect to the moving direction of the opening and closing member at the contact position when the opening and closing member is moved from the third position toward the second position.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the opening and closing member moves with respect to the main body of the apparatus through rotation around its shaft, and wherein the shaft of the opening and closing member and the shaft of the pressurization member are in an orthogonal or a twisted relationship.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the opening and closing member moves with respect to the main body of the apparatus through rotation around its shaft, and wherein the shaft of the opening/closing ember and the shaft of the pressurization member are substantially parallel to each other.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the pressurization member is equipped with a first contact portion configured to come into contact with the opening and closing member when moving the opening and closing member from the third position toward the second position, and a second contact portion configured to come into contact with the opening and closing member when moving the opening and closing member from the third position toward the second position, and

wherein a friction coefficient between the opening and closing member and the first contact portion is smaller than a friction coefficient between the opening and closing member and the second contact portion.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a movable member including an operating unit for operating the image forming apparatus, wherein the movable member can be a first state and a second state by changing its position with respect to an main body of the apparatus; and

a holding unit configured to hold the movable member,

wherein one of the movable member and the holding unit is provided with a plurality of recesses arranged side by side, and the other of the movable member and the holding unit is provided with a protrusion capable of fit-engagement with the recesses, wherein each recess has regulating surfaces configured to regulate the releasing of the fit-engagement of the protrusion and the recess and to hold the protrusion,

wherein the movable member is maintained in a predetermined position in the state in which the protrusion is fit-engaged with the recess, and the movable member moves from the state in which the protrusion is fit-engaged with the recess, with the protrusion moving with respect to the recess, whereby the protrusion climbs over a regulating surface to release the fit-engagement with the recess to become capable of fit-engagement with another of the recesses,

wherein the direction in which the operating unit is depressed in order to operate the image forming apparatus is the direction in which the movable member is depressed when the position of the movable member is changed from the first state to the second state, and

wherein, assuming that, of the regulating surfaces, the regulating surface the protrusion climbs over when the movable member is placed in the second state from the first state is a first regulating surface, that the regulating surface the protrusion climbs over when the movable member is placed in the first state from the second state is a second regulating surface, and that the angles of the first regulating surface and the second regulating surface with respect to the moving direction of the protrusion with respect to the recess are α and

β

, respectively (α

, β

≦

90°

), the angles α and

β

satisfy α

>

β

, so that it may be more difficult for the protrusion to climbs over the first regulating surface than to get over the second regulating surface.