Original holding plate hinging mechanism

• US 4,588,290 A
• Filed: 03/18/1985
• Issued: 05/13/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yoshihiro Ohtsuka
• Original Assignee: Yoshihiro Ohtsuka
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WINTERCORN, RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US06/713,161
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 355/25, 355/75, 355/76
• US Class Current: 355/76
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/6228 Platen covers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an original holding plate hinging mechanism for a copying machine, a printing machine or the like. When a thick solid original, such as a book, needs to be covered with an original holding plate, the pivotal point of the original holding plate is raised so that the original holding plate is placed practically horizontally on the thick solid original when closed. The original holding plate hinging mechanism comprises a supporting member attached rotatably to a member of the copying machine, an original holding plate joined at the rear end thereof to the free end of the supporting member so as to turn relatively to the supporting member, and a resilient means interlocked with both a member of the copying machine and the supporting member to control the torque for turning the supporting member.

According to the present invention, the mechanism further includes a control means interlocked with both the supporting member and the original holding plate to control the turning motion of the original holding plate relative to the supporting member.

Claims

1. A hinging mechanism for a holding plate of a copying machine which has an upper material support plate, comprising in combination:

(a) a bracket (12) having a rectangular base plate (12a) with one end portion and a central portion, also side plates (12b) extending upright on both sides of said base plate end portion plus a control piece (12c) extending upright from said central portion;

(b) a rectangular supporting member (13) sized to cooperate with the bracket (12), likewise with side plates (13a) having one end section, said one end section being hinged for rotation to the bracket side plates (12b) by a first pin (14), also a cam-like stopping member (15) with a narrow end and a cam end interposed between the supporting member side plates (13a), rotatably hinged thereto by a second pin, said stopping member defining a predetermined angle, said stopping member (15) cooperating with the control piece (12c), a spring (16) urging the stopping member (15) towards the supporting member (13) and away from the upper original material support plate, stopping pins (15a) projecting from both sides of the cam end and a pressure receiving pin (15b) projecting from the narrow end, said stopping pin (15a) abutting the edges of the supporting member side plates (13a) to control the turning of the stopping member (15);

(c) a rectangular lifting member (18) with side walls (18a) sized to overlay the supporting member side plates, said side walls being hinged to said supporting member side plates at the end opposite said one end, stopping projections (18b) at the one end of said lifting member (18), a holding plate (H), with a fixed end and a free end, said holding plate being fixed to the lifting member (18) at the fixed end;

whereby, when the free end of the holding plate (H) is lifted up for copying operation, the holding plate turns together with the lifting member (18) and supporting member in a clockwise direction on the first hinge pin (14), after the holding plate (H) has been turned through the predetermined angle, the stopping member (15) is released from engagement of the control piece (12c) and allowed to be turned in a counterclockwise direction by the resilient force of the spring (16) so that although the stopping pins (15a) engage the stopping projections (18b), the stopping pins do not engage the stopping projections until the holding plate is turned through the predetermined angle;

when a thick material is placed on the copying machine, the pressure receiving pin (15b) has been brought into contact with the control piece (12c) and turned in a clockwise direction against the force of the spring (16) and the stopping pines (15a) have already been disengaged from the stopping projections (18b) so that the holding plate turns in a counterclockwise direction and lies substantially horizontally on the material to be copied to cover it.

2. A hinging mechanism for a holding plate of a copying machine which has an upper original support plate, comprising in combination:

(a) a bracket (22) having a rectangular base plate (22a) with one end portion and a central portion, also side plates (22b) extending upright on both sides of said base plate end portion plus a control piece (22c) extending upright from said central portion, a cam member (23) fixed between the side plates (22b) and extension coil springs (30) affixed to said cam member;

(b) a rectangular supporting member (25) sized to cooperate with the bracket (22), likewise with side plates (25a) having one end section, said one end section being hinged for rotation to the bracket side plates (22b) by a first pin (24), also a cam-like stopping member (26) with a narrow end and a cam end interposed between the supporting member side plates (25a), rotatably hinged thereto by a second pin, said stopping member defining a predetermined angle, said stopping member (26) cooperating with the control piece (22c), a biasing means (27) urging the stopping member (26) towards the supporting member and away from the upper original material support plate, stopping pins (26a) projecting from both sides of the cam end and a pressure receiving pin (26b) projecting from the narrow end, said stopping pin abutting the edges of the supporting member side plates to control the turning of the stopping member;

(c) a U-shaped sliding member (28) with a control pins (29) at one end said sliding member being disposed between the side plates said coil springs (30) keeping the control pin (30) in contact with the cam member (23);

(d) a rectangular lifting member (31) with side walls (31a) sized to overlay the supporting member side plates, said side walls being hinged to said supporting member side plates at the end opposite said one end, stopping projections at the one end of said lifting member, a holding plate, with a fixed end and a free end, said holding plate being fixed to the lifting member at the fixed end;

whereby, when the free end of the holding plate is lifted up for copying operation, the holding plate turns together with the lifting member and supporting member in a clockwise direction on the first hinge pin, after the holding plate has been turned through the predetermined angle, the stopping member is released from engagement of the control piece and allowed to be turned in a counterclockwise direction by the resilient force of the spring so that although the stopping pins engage the stopping projections, the stopping pins do not engage the stopping projections until the holding plate is turned through the predetermined angle;

when a thick material is placed on the copying machine, the pressure receiving pin has been brought into contact with the control piece and turned in a clockwise direction against the force of the spring and the stopping pins have already been disengaged from the stopping projections so that the holding plate turns in a counterclockwise direction and lies substantially horizontally on the material to be copied to cover it.

3. A hinging mechanism for a holding plate of a copying machine which has an upper original material support plate, comprising in combination:

(a) a bracket having a rectangular base plate with one end portion and a central portion, also side plates extending upright on both sides of said base plate end portion plus a control piece extending upright from said central portion;

(b) a rectangular supporting member sized to cooperate with the bracket, likewise with side plates having one end section, said one end section being hinged for rotation to the bracket side plates, also a triangular stopping member with a narrow end and a base end interposed between the supporting member side plates, rotatably hinged thereto, said stopping member defining a predetermined angle, said stopping member cooperating with the control piece, biasing means urging the stopping member towards the supporting member and away from the upper original material support plate, stopping means projecting from both sides of the base end and a pressure receiving pin projecting from the narrow end, said stopping pin abutting the edges of the supporting member side plates to control the turning of the stopping member;

(c) a rectangular lifting member with side walls sized to overlay the supporting member side plates, said side walls being hinged to said supporting member side plates at the end opposite said one end, stopping projections at the one end of said lifting member, a holding plate, with a fixed end and a free end, said holding plate being fixed to the lift member at the fixed end.