Image forming apparatus

• US 9,766,586 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Doi, Shigeo, Sugiyama, Tadahisa
• Primary Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US14/867,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence

Abstract

A door is held in an open condition by locking a stopper member whose one end is turnably supported by an apparatus body. The stopper member is composed of a base member having a project portion and a turning shaft portion supported by a printer body, and a reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is joined with the base member by a joining mechanism such that, in a case when a force of predetermined magnitude is applied to the door in opening the door, the base member is broken and the reinforcing member holds the door by supporting the project portion and the turning shaft portion of the broken base member.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an apparatus body;

a door openably supported by the apparatus body;

a first member configured to restrict an opening angle of the door, the first member comprising a first engage portion engaging with the door, and a second engage portion engaging with the apparatus body; and

a second member configured to restrict the opening angle of the door if the first member is broken such that the first and second engage portions are separated.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second member is configured to join the first and second engage portions if the first member is broken.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an insertion member configured to join the second member with the first member, the insertion member having a shaft portion,

wherein the second member comprises a portion defining an insertion hole, through which the shaft portion of the insertion member is inserted in a condition in which a gap is provided between the portion defining the insertion hole and the shaft portion.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first and second insertion members configured to join the second member with the first member,

wherein the second member comprises a first portion defining a first insertion hole provided at one end part of the second member and through which a shaft portion of the first insertion member is inserted, and

a second portion defining a second insertion hole provided at another end part of the second member and through which a shaft portion of the second insertion member is inserted,

wherein the shaft portions of the first and second insertion members are inserted into the first and second insertion holes, respectively, in a condition in which a gap is provided between at least one of:

(i) the first portion defining the first insertion hole and the shaft portion of the first insertion member, and

(ii) the second portion defining the second insertion hole and the shaft portion of the second insertion member.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first insertion member joins the second member with the first member by entering an inside of the first engage portion, and the second insertion member joins the second member with the first member by entering an inside of the second engage portion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member is a resin-made member and the second member is a metallic member.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first engage portion is a projection slidably supported by the door, and the second engage portion is a shaft portion turnably supported by the apparatus body.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second member is formed separately from the first member.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an apparatus body;

a door openably supported by the apparatus body;

a stopper member comprising a first engage portion engaging with the door, and a second engage portion engaging with the apparatus body, the stopper member being configured to hold the door in an open condition;

a metal member comprising at least a first portion defining a first hole;

a first insertion member comprising a first shaft portion inserted through the metal member and provided in the door; and

a second insertion member comprising a second shaft portion inserted through the metal member and provided in the apparatus body,

wherein at least one of the first and second insertion members is inserted through the first hole defined by the first portion of the metal member, a gap being provided between the first portion defining the first hole of the metal member and at least one of the first and second shaft portions in a state in which the stopper member holds the door in the open condition.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the metal member further comprises a second portion defining a second hole,

wherein the first shaft portion of the first insertion member is inserted in the first hole, and the second shaft portion is inserted in the second hole, and

wherein the gap is provided between at least one of:

(i) the portion defining the first hole and the first shaft portion of the first insertion member, and

(ii) the portion defining the second hole and the second shaft portion of the second insertion member,

in the state in which the stopper member holds the door in the open condition.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the gap between the portion defining the first hole and the first shaft portion of the first insertion member and the gap between the portion defining the second hole and the second shaft portion of the second insertion member are provided in the state that the stopper member holds the door in the open condition.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first and second engage portions are projections engaging with the apparatus body and the door, respectively.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first insertion member is inserted into the first engage portion of the stopper member, and

the second insertion member is inserted into the second engage portion of the stopper member.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a size of the hole is set such that the stopper member can be elongated until the stopper member is broken in a condition in which the first and second engage portions are separated.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the stopper member is a resin-made member.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first insertion member is provided in the door through the first engage portion of the stopper member, and

the second insertion member is provided in the apparatus body through the second engage portion of the stopper member.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first insertion member is slidably supported by the door through the first engage portion of the stopper member.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first engage portion is a projection slidably supported by the door, and

a part of the first shaft portion of the first insertion member is inserted into the first engage portion of the stopper member.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the second engage portion is turnably supported on the apparatus body, and

a part of the second shaft portion of the second insertion member is inserted into the second engage portion of the stopper member.

20. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an apparatus body;

a door openably supported by the apparatus body;

a first member configured to restrict an opening angle of the door, the first member comprising a first engage portion engaging with the door, and a second engage portion engaging with the apparatus body;

a second member; and

an insertion member configured to join the second member with the first member,

wherein the second member comprises a portion defining an insertion hole through which a shaft portion of the insertion member is inserted in a condition in which a gap is provided between the portion defining the insertion hole and the shaft portion.