Hinge and image input/output apparatus therewith

• US 7,069,622 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, So, Utsugi, Yasushi, Ohara, Toshimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mah, Chuck Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyle, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US10/675,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 162/86, 162/89, 162/92, 163/37, 163/42, 163/45, 163/35, 163/26, 163/27, 162/39, 162/42, 162/84, 163/12, 358/494, 358/496, 358/497, 399/380, 355/75
• US Class Current: 16/286
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/13 Cases or covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 11/1064 with a coil spring perpendicular to the pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2999/00 Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1017 the main-scanning components remaining positionally invariant with respect to one another in the sub-scanning direction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0422 Media holders, covers, supports, backgrounds; Arrangements to facilitate placing of the medium H04N2201/0406 - H04N2201/0412, H04N2201/0434 take precedence

Abstract

A hinge includes a tubular base part being attached to a main body or an open/closed body, a rotation body being attached to the main body or the open/closed body, which is not attached to the base part, and supported on side wall end parts of the base part opposed to each other for rotation, the rotation body having a cam part, a wedge body being reciprocatably housed in the base part and having a slope for coming in sliding contact with the cam part when the rotation body rotates, an elastic member being housed in the base part for urging the wedge body toward the side of the rotation body, a sliding contact face being formed on the side of the wedge body from a rotation axis of the rotation body on an inner wall of the base part and bent to a concave corresponding to a parallel move path of a line almost parallel with the rotation axis, and a sliding contact part being formed in the rotation body for coming in sliding contact with the sliding contact face when the rotation body rotates.

Claims

1. A hinge with which an open/closed body is swingably joined to a main body, the hinge comprising:

a tubular base part being attached to one of the main body and the open/closed body;

a rotation body being attached to another of the main body and the open/closed body, and rotationally supported by opposite side wall end parts of said base part, said rotation body having a cam part;

a wedge body being reciprocatably housed in said base part and having a slope for coming in sliding contact with the cam part according to a rotation of said rotation body;

an elastic member being housed in said base part for urging said wedge body toward said rotation body;

a sliding contact face being formed on an inner wall of said base part in a side of said wedge body with respect to a rotation axis of said rotation body, the sliding contact face having a concave surface defined by a parallel move path of a line almost parallel with the rotation axis; and

a sliding contact part being formed in said rotation body for coming in sliding contact with said sliding contact face when said rotation body rotates.

2. The hinge as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sliding contact part is formed in a proximity of a tip of the cam part.

3. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wedge body is pressed into the base part.

4. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sliding contact face and said sliding contact part are disengaged against each other when said open/closed body is in a fully closed position or in a fully open position.

5. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance from the rotation axis to an arbitrary point on said sliding contact face varies so that a frictional force occurring between said sliding contact part and said sliding contact face varies in response to the rotation angle of said rotation body.

11. The hinge as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first distance from a tip of said sliding contact part to said rotation axis is longer than a second distance from an arbitrary point on said sliding contact face.

6. An image input/output apparatus comprising:

a first housing for housing a printing unit;

a second housing for housing an image read unit being placed on said first housing; and

a hinge for swingably joining said second housing to said first housing, the hinge including;

a tubular base part being attached to one of the main body and the open/closed body;

a rotation body being attached to another of the main body and the open/closed body, and rotationally supported by opposite side wall end parts of said base part, said rotation body having a cam part;

a wedge body being reciprocatably housed in said base part and having a slope for coming in sliding contact with the cam part according to a rotation of said rotation body;

an elastic member being housed in said base part for urging said wedge body toward said rotation body;

a sliding contact face being formed on an inner wall of said base part in a side of said wedge body with respect to a rotation axis of said rotation body, the sliding contact face having a concave surface defined by a parallel move path of a line almost parallel with the rotation axis; and

a sliding contact part being formed in said rotation body for coming in sliding contact with said sliding contact face when said rotation body rotates.

7. The image input/output apparatus claimed in claim 6, wherein said sliding contact part is formed in a proximity of a tip of the cam part.

8. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said wedge body is pressed into the base part.

9. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sliding contact face and said sliding contact part are disengaged against each other when said open/closed body is in a fully closed position or in a fully open position.

10. The image input/output apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a distance from the rotation axis to an arbitrary point on said sliding contact face varies so that a frictional force occurring between said sliding contact part and said sliding contact face varies in response to the rotation angle of said rotation body.