Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge – Resiliently biased hinge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-25
2002-12-31
Mah, Chuck Y. (Department: 3676)
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
Resiliently biased hinge
C016S288000, C016S370000, C016S239000, C016S286000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499189
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pivotably opening and closing hinge apparatus that connects two devices and particularly to a hinge apparatus that supports an opening and closing automatic document feeder equipped over the original platen or the cover placed on the original platen established on the upper surface of a photographic copying machine; a facsimile apparatus or an image scanner (called image forming apparatus below).
2. Description of the Related Arts
Image forming apparatuses have a clear glass platen plate (called platen below) that comprises the original platen through which light is radiated from below to reflect off of an original document so that the reflected image can be obtained to form an image of the original placed on that platen. It is not unusual for an operator to place one sheet of an original or to place a thick book on the platen for photocopied reproduction. In either case, it is essential to the clarity and the quality of the reproduction of the original to prevent the excessive diffusion of light outside of the image forming apparatus by using a covering body or a cover to push and press the original securely against the platen.
Ordinarily, platen covers are attached to the upper part of the image forming apparatus using a hinge. Ordinary hinge mechanisms have a first attachment plate that is firmly attached to the image forming apparatus and a second attachment plate that is firmly attached to the platen cover that pivot around a common rotating axis. In this construction, the platen cover pivots around this axis to allow the platen cover to open and close with respect to the top of the platen.
It is not uncommon that the platen cover also has functions that are often associated with an automatic document feeder wherein such an apparatus is mounted onto the image forming apparatus to enable the consecutive feeding of a plurality of unbound and loose sheets one sheet at a time to the platen of the image forming apparatus. In such a case, the automatic document feeder itself also performs the essential function of the platen cover.
It should be understood that when an operator wants to use an image forming apparatus to copy specific pages from a relatively thick medium such as a book, the ordinary hinge mechanism just described, namely of a cover or an automatic document feeder mounted onto an image forming apparatus, can only apply a pushing pressure to one edge of the thick original, or book, to hold it in place against the platen of the image forming apparatus which will damage the binding of a book. Of course, if the operator should apply too much pressure from above onto the cover or the automatic document feeder to more completely cover the medium and thereby attempt to prevent unwanted diffusion of light, there would be an unequal distribution of pressure on the platen which will result in the damaging or even the cracking of the platen.
Thus, in order to alleviate such unwanted situations that result from the two piece construction of an automatic document feeder mounted to an image forming apparatus, it is desirable to arrange the structure of one device (hereinafter called “platen cover”) with respect to the other device so that it can apply an equal pressure over the entire back side of a thick book by being parallel with respect to platen.
There have been opening and closing hinge apparatuses that move the platen cover into a vertical and parallel position above the platen.
An example of the prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. Hei 5-9597. The hinge apparatus (hereinafter called “first art”) described is shown in
FIGS. 15A
to
15
D. The first art shown in
FIG. 15A
comprises the attachment frame
302
which is attached to the copy machine
301
and the movable hinge
304
which is attached to the platen cover
303
. The rising and lowering hinge
306
pivotably supports the movable hinge
304
on the shaft
305
and the parallel link arms
307
and
308
are connected to allow the rising and lower hinge
306
to move vertically with respect to the attachment frame
302
. One end of each of the parallel link arms
307
and
308
is attached to the attachment frame
302
by shafts
309
and
310
respectively, and the other ends of each of the parallel link arms
307
and
308
are attached to the rising and lowering hinge
306
by the shafts
311
and
312
, respectively. As can be seen in FIGS.
15
(A) through (D), when the platen cover is opened by operating the platen cover hinge
303
to copy a thick document
313
, the inner side of the platen cover pushes on the outer edge of the thick document
313
as the operator opens the platen cover by lifting. This pivots the platen cover on and around the line of the point of contact by pushing on the edge of the thick document
313
. In the system as described for the hinge mechanism related to the first art, the rising and lowering hinge
306
is attached to the frame
302
using the parallel links
307
and
308
so the vertical movements of the parallel links
307
and
308
have substantially the same circular action. Thus, it is possible to attain the smooth upward movement of the rising and lowering hinge
306
only if the rotational force of the platen cover
303
is transmitted to the rising and lower hinge
306
using the thick document
313
.
This hinge structure unifies the lifter mechanism by connecting the rising and lowering hinge
306
to the attachment frame
302
with the parallel links
307
and
308
thereby making it possible to provide a single hinge apparatus which encompasses both the opening and closing functions and the lifter function.
Another hinge apparatus (called “second art” below) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 61-20587 disclosed in the prior art as a document holder capable of opening and closing. This hinge apparatus, as can be seen in
FIG. 16
, comprises the lifter
351
which is attached to the copy machine
350
and the hinge
352
which is attached to the lifter
351
. The platen cover
353
can be opened and closed with the hinge
352
. The lifter
351
is composed of the base plate
354
and the paired first rising and lowering arms
355
and
356
which are attached to base plate
354
so that the platen cover
353
is vertically movable in the direction of opening and closing. The paired second rising and lowering arms
357
and
358
are movably attached to the free end of both the paired first rising and lowering arms
355
and
356
and the bracket
359
is attached to the free ends of the paired second rising and lowering arms
357
and
358
. This bracket
359
employs the attached structure of the hinge
352
. It is possible with this particular structure for an operator to place a thick book onto the platen without the front end of the platen cover remaining at an angle. This structure allows the complete and parallel covering of the upper surface of the book. It is also important to note that the structure of this apparatus prevents the platen cover from bending and it prevents the diffusion of light to outside of the photographic copy machine and the infusion of light into the internal optical system.
However, in the hinge apparatus of the first art just described, the pressing action of the platen cover
303
causes the lift mechanism to continue functioning while the edge of the book and the platen cover
303
are in contact. Thus, the thickness and the positioning of the book on the platen induce the book to move and become displaced in the left and right directions of FIG.
15
C. Such a force generated by this movement presents the unwanted possibility of bending or otherwise damaging the pages that are in contact with the platen or causing the book to become mis-positioned. In this hinge apparatus, there is no systematic relationship between the movements of the hinge
306
and the lift action so when the operator is opening or closing the platen cover
360
, he or she must perform the separate and unrelated actions of opening
Kondo Jun
Ogihara Mitsumasa
Creighton Wray James
Mah Chuck Y.
Narasimhan Meera P.
Nisca Corporation
LandOfFree
Hinge apparatus and image forming device having a platen... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Hinge apparatus and image forming device having a platen..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Hinge apparatus and image forming device having a platen... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2993582