Supporting mechanism of a document cover lid for a copying apparatus

• US 4,365,893 A
• Filed: 12/18/1980
• Issued: 12/28/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Kimura, Hiroshi, Irie, Yoichiro, Shigemura, Yutaka, Hisajima, Masahiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US06/218,013
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 355/25, 355/75, 355/82, 355/113, 355/128, 355/131, 355/133, 220/335, 16/332
• US Class Current: 355/75
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/6228 Platen covers

Abstract

A supporting mechanism of a document cover lid to be used for a copying apparatus includes a base of a supporting member mounted to the upper portion of an apparatus housing so as to swing about a horizontal axis. A positioning member is mounted on one of either the apparatus housing or the supporting member has a first frictional surface which is a circular periphery in a vertical plane with respect to the horizontal axis. A contact member is mounted on the other of either the apparatus housing or the supporting member and, has a second frictional surface, which is a circular periphery in a vertical plane with respect to the horizontal axis and is elastically pushed against the first frictional surface. By this mechanism, it is possible to support the document cover lid in an opened position upwardly at an angle sufficient to replace an original document.

Claims

1. A supporting mechanism for supporting a document cover lid of a copying apparatus of the type wherein the cover lid is movable between a lowered position covering an upper surface of the copying apparatus and a raised position uncovering the surface, said supporting mechanism comprising:

a support member adapted to be fixed to a cover lid and having a base;

means for mounting said base of said support member on an upper portion of a copying apparatus so that said support member is pivotally movable about a horizontal axis;

a positioning member adapted to be mounted on the upper portion of the copying apparatus, said positioning member having a cylindrical first friction surface formed by a peripheral surface of said positioning member, said peripheral surface being arranged coaxially about a center line of said positioning member extending parallel to said horizontal axis;

a contact member mounted on said support member and movable therewith, said contact member having a partially cylindrical second friction surface extending parallel to said horizontal axis;

means for biasing said contact member toward said positioning member such that said second friction surface is in contact constantly with said first friction surface; and

said positioning and contact members being positioned and dimensioned such that, when said support member is pivoted about said horizontal axis to the lowered position of the cover lid, said first and second friction surfaces are in mutual contact at a position lower than a horizontal line extending transversely through said center line of said positioning member, and said biasing means and said contact member thereby create a force adapted to press the cover lid downwardly against the upper surface.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein said horizontal axis comprises a rod adapted to be mounted on the upper portion of the copying apparatus, and, when said support member is pivoted to the raised position of the cover lid, said second friction surface is in contact with said first friction surface and said rod.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide member mounted on said support member, said guide member having therein a guide hole, said contact member being slidably mounted in said guide hole, and said biasing means urging said contact member out of said guide hole toward said positioning member.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring, and further comprising means for adjusting the spring force of said spring and thereby the friction between said first and second friction surfaces.

5. In a copying apparatus of the type including an apparatus housing having an upper surface on which is positionable an original document to be copied, and a document cover lid supported on said housing for movement between a lowered position covering said upper surface and a raised position uncovering said upper surface, the improvement of a supporting mechanism for mounting and supporting said document cover lid on said housing, said mechanism comprising:

a support member fixed to said cover lid and having a base;

means for mounting said base of said support member on an upper portion of said housing so that said support member is pivotally movable about a horizontal axis between said lowered and raised positions of said cover lid;

a positioning member mounted on said upper portion of said housing, said positioning member having a cylindrical first friction surface formed by a peripheral surface of said positioning member, said peripheral surface being arranged coaxially about a center line of said positioning member extending parallel to said horizontal axis;

a contact member mounted on said support member and movable therewith, said contact member having a partially cylindrical second friction surface extending parallel to said horizontal axis;

means for biasing said contact member toward said positioning member such that said second friction surface is in contact constantly with said first friction surface; and

said positioning and contact members being positioned and dimensioned such that, when said support member is pivoted about said horizontal axis to said lowered position of said cover lid, said first and second friction surfaces are in mutual contact at a position lower than a horizontal line extending transversely through said center line of said positioning member, and said biasing means and said contact member thereby create a force pressing said cover lid downwardly against said upper surface.

6. The improvement claimed in claim 5, wherein said horizontal axis comprises a rod mounted on said upper portion of said housing, and, when said support member is pivoted to said raised position of said cover lid, said second friction surface is in contact with said first friction surface and said rod.

7. The improvement claimed in claim 5, further comprising a guide member mounted on said support member, said guide member having therein a guide hole, said contact member being slidably mounted in said guide hole, and said biasing means urging said contact member out of said guide hole toward said positioning member.

8. The improvement claimed in claim 7, wherein said biasing means comprises a spring, and further comprising means for adjusting the spring force of said spring and thereby the friction between said first and second friction surfaces.