Original-cover closer

• US 6,100,963 A
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kem HongKong Limited
• Original Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Company Limited
• Inventors: Hosaka, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/201,249
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/72, 355/75, 355/76, 355/23-25, 271/265.01, 271/272, 399/380
• US Class Current: 355/75
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/6228 Platen covers
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/605 Holders for originals or exposure platens for photographic purposes in general G03B

Abstract

An original-cover closer has: a mounting or base member to be installed on the body of a copying machine; a supporting member pivoted at side plates thereof by a first hinge pin to side plates of the mounting member and on which an original cover is supported and; a lifting member mounted at side plates thereof by a second hinge pin on the supporting member at free ends of the side plates thereof to be pivotable in an opposite direction to the direction in which the support member is opened and closed and to which the original cover is to be fixed. A control pin is provided between the side plates of the lifting member and near but off the second hinge pin and the closer further includes; an original-cover weight bearing pin provided between the side plates of the mounting member and near but off the first hinge pin; a first spring receiving member engaged on or pivoted to the control pin; a second spring receiving member engaged or pivoted on the control pin and assembled telescopically with the first spring receiving member; an elastic member and provided between the second and first spring receiving members to force the supporting member in the opening direction of the original cover and also the lifting member in a direction in which the lifting member overlaps the supporting member. Cuts or guide slots are formed in the side plates of the supporting member to allow the control pin to move about the second hinge pin as the lifting member is pivoted, thereby covering horizontally the top of even a thick original placed on a contact glass cover.

Claims

1. An original-cover closer comprising:

a mounting member having a base plate to be installed on a body of a copying machine, and two side plates extending upwardly from opposite sides of the base plate;

a supporting member having an upper plate and two side plates extending downwardly from opposite sides of the upper plate, one end of each side plate of the supporting member being located outside a corresponding side plate of the mounting member and being pivotably connected thereto via a first hinge pin;

a lifting member having a support plate to which one end of an original cover of the copy machine is attached, and two side plates extending downwardly from opposite sides of the support plate, one end of each side plate of the lifting member being located outside a free end of a corresponding side plate of the supporting member and being pivotably connected thereto via a second hinge pin;

a first spring receiving member engaged with a weight bearing pin fixed to the side plates of the mounting member at a position near to but offset from the first hinge pin;

a second spring receiving member engaged with a control pin fixed to the side plates of the lifting member at a position near to but offset from the second hinge pin;

a compression spring between the second and first spring receiving members for forcing the supporting member in an opening direction of the original cover and also the lifting member in a direction in which the lifting member overlaps the supporting member; and

cuts or guide slots formed in the side plates of the supporting member for allowing the control pin to be received in the cuts or slots when the lifting member is turned to cover a top of a thick original placed on a contact glass cover horizontally by the original cover.

2. The original-cover closer as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second spring receiving member is a spring case in which the first spring receiving member is received along with the elastic member.

3. The original-cover closer as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second spring receiving members are assembled to be a telescopic tube and the compression spring is wounded on and between the first and second spring receiving members.

4. The original-cover closer as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second spring receiving members and the compression spring are housed together in a spring case.

5. An original-cover closer comprising:

a mounting member having a base plate to be installed on a body of a copying machine, and two side plates extending upwardly from opposite sides of the base plate;

a supporting member having an upper plate and two side plates extending downwardly from opposite sides of the upper plate, one end of each side plate of the supporting member being located outside a corresponding side plate of the mounting member and being pivotably connected thereto via a first hinge pin;

a lifting member having a support plate to which one end of an original cover of the copying machine is attached, and two side plates extending downwardly from opposite sides of the support plate, one end of each side plate of the lifting member being located outside a free end of a corresponding side plate of the supporting member and being pivotably connected thereto via a second hinge pin;

a tubular first spring receiving member, one end of which is pivotably supported by a weight bearing pin fixed to the side plates of the mounting member at a position near to but offset from the first hinge pin;

a spring case pivotably engaged with a control pin fixed to the side plates of the lifting member at a position near to but offset from the second binge pin, the spring case slidably accommodating the first spring receiving member;

a compression spring accommodated within the first spring receiving member and disposed between the first spring receiving member and the spring case to force the supporting member in an opening direction of the original cover and also the lifting member in a direction in which the lifting member overlaps the supporting member; and

cuts or guide slots formed in the side plates of the supporting member to allow the control pin to be received in the cuts or slots when the lifting member is turned to cover a top of a thick original placed on a contact glass cover horizontally by the original cover.