OPENING AND CLOSING MECHANISM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20180088521A1
• Filed: 05/12/2017
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGANUMA, Teruki, TAKUBO, Toshikazu, TAKAHASHI, Kohei
• Granted Patent: US 10,241,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1633 using doors or covers G03G21/1638 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/1638 directed to paper handling or jam treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2221/1687 using opening shell type machines, e.g. pivoting assemblies

Abstract

An opening and closing mechanism includes: an opening and closing door that is supported rotatably so as to be movable between a closed position where to close an opening of an apparatus body and an open position where to open the opening; a link member that is supported rotatably by a rotary shaft that is attached to the apparatus body; a guide member having a first guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the closed position and a second guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the open position; and a switching member that guides the link member from the first guide surface and the second guide surface.

Claims

1. An opening and closing mechanism comprising:

an opening and closing door that is supported rotatably so as to be movable between a closed position where to close an opening of an apparatus body and an open position where to open the opening;

a link member that is supported rotatably by a rotary shaft that is attached to the apparatus body;

a guide member having a first guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the closed position and a second guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the open position; and

a switching member that guides the link member from the first guide surface and the second guide surface.

2. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an elastic member is attached to a tip portion of the link member and the link member rotates about the rotary shaft by receiving a rotational moment.

3. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein, when the opening and closing door is moved from the open position to the closed position, the link member passes a top dead point and the direction of the rotational moment is reversed when the tip portion of the elastic member passes an end point of the first guide surface, whereby the guide member is pulled in a movement direction of the opening and closing door.

4. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the switching member is swung and guides the link member to the second guide surface while receiving the rotational moment from the link member by coming into contact with the link member after the rotational moment was reversed when the tip portion of the link member was located around an end point of the first guide surface.

5. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the second guide surface includes a first guide portion that has a small inclination angle and extends parallel with a movement direction of the opening and closing door and a second guide portion that has a larger inclination angle than the first guide portion and extends in a direction that crosses the movement direction of the opening and closing door, and, when the opening and closing door is moved from the closed position to the open position, the link member rotates as the tip portion of the link member moves along the first guide portion and then the link member rotates and passes a top dead point and the direction of the rotational moment is reversed as the tip portion of the link member moves along the second guide portion.

13. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;

a sheet conveying part that conveys the sheet to the image forming unit; and

the opening and closing mechanism according to claim 1.

6. An opening and closing mechanism comprising:

an opening and closing door that is supported rotatably so as to be movable between a closed position where to close an opening of an apparatus body and an open position where to open the opening;

a link member that is supported rotatably by a rotary shaft that is attached to the apparatus body;

a guide member that is supported rotatably by a support shaft attached to the opening and closing door, and has a first guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the closed position, a second guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the open position, and a third guide surface that moves being kept in contact with the link member when the opening and closing door is moved toward the closed position; and

a switching member that guides the link member from the first guide surface and the second guide surface.

7. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 6, wherein a first elastic member is attached to a tip portion of the link member and the link member rotates about the rotary shaft by receiving a first rotational moment.

8. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 7, wherein, when the opening and closing door is moved from the open position to the closed position, the link member passes a top dead point and the direction of the rotational moment is reversed when the tip portion of the elastic member passes an end point of the first guide surface, whereby the guide member is pulled in a movement direction of the opening and closing door.

9. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the switching member is swung and guides the link member to the second guide surface while receiving the rotational moment from the link member by coming into contact with the link member after the rotational moment was reversed when the tip portion of the link member was located around an end point of the first guide surface.

10. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the second guide surface includes a first guide portion that has a small inclination angle and extends parallel with a movement direction of the opening and closing door and a second guide portion that has a larger inclination angle than the first guide portion and extends in a direction that crosses the movement direction of the opening and closing door, and, when the opening and closing door is moved from the closed position to the open position, the link member rotates as the tip portion of the link member moves along the first guide portion and then the link member rotates and passes a top dead point and the direction of the rotational moment is reversed as the tip portion of the link member moves along the second guide portion.

11. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 6, wherein a second elastic member is attached to one end portion of the guide member and the guide member rotates about the rotary shaft by receiving a second rotational moment.

12. The opening and closing mechanism according to claim 11, wherein:

the third guide surface includes a first slant surface that has a small inclination angle and extends parallel with a movement direction of the opening and closing door and a second slant surface that extends in such a direction as to cross the movement direction of the opening and closing door and has an apex at a position that is distant from the support shaft of the guide member; and

when the opening and closing door is moved from the open position to the closed position, the second rotational moment is larger than the first rotational moment when the tip portion of the link member moves along the second slant surface toward the apex after moving along the first slant surface.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;

a sheet conveying part that conveys the sheet to the image forming unit; and

the opening and closing mechanism according to claim 6.