Electrophotography – Document handling – Original
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-12-04
Braun, Fred L. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Document handling
Original
C355S075000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327457
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for opening and closing an original pressing device which presses an original to an original supporting table of a copier, printer or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the original pressing devices of this type include ones provided with an automatic original feeding apparatus and ones not provided with such an apparatus. In the former type of original pressing device, an original is automatically fed to an original supporting table by an original conveying belt and automatically evacuated from the original supporting table by the original conveying belt after a copying is made. For manually setting an original in place on the original supporting table or removing the original from on the original supporting table, the original pressing device is installed to the body of a copier for example with an opening-closing device provided between the original pressing device and copier body to facilitate opening or closing of the original pressing device. Normally, a pair of such opening-closing devices is used. For manual operation of the original pressing, the opening-closing device is constructed as follows for easy opening, to a desired intermediate angular position, of the original pressing device provided with an automatic original feeding apparatus which is sufficiently heavy to set and hold an original in place on the original supporting table, and holding the original pressing device stably at the angular position with no likelihood that the original pressing device will spontaneously fall onto the original supporting table even with the hand taken off the original pressing device. That is, the opening-closing device includes a base member for fixation to the body of a copier for example, a supporting member secured pivotably to the base member with a hinge pin and on which the original pressing device is fixed at the rear portion thereof, and an elastic member provided between the base and supporting members to elastically force the supporting member in the opening direction.
Normally, the above opening-closing devices, right and left, are provided in pair on the body of the copier and the elastic members will lift somehow the original pressing device at the opening-closing devices when the original pressing device is opened. For these reasons, there takes place a problem that the original conveying belt of the original pressing device cannot be pressed horizontally to the original supporting table, an original to be fed is moved obliquely and thus cannot be set in place, or the original cannot correctly be evacuated from on the original supporting table after a copying is made. The original pressing device cannot be set horizontally on the original supporting table when it does not dimensionally fit to the table or when the user of the copier replaces the regular original pressing device with a one with an automatic original feeding apparatus. To avoid the above, the following opening-closing device for an original pressing device has been proposed (as in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-208098), which includes a base member to be fixed vertically slidably to the body of a copier for example by means of a supporting foot, a supporting member for an original pressing plate, secured at one end thereof pivotably to the base member with a hinge pin, and an elastic member provided between the free end of the supporting member and the base member to elastically force the supporting member in the direction in which the original pressing device can be opened, the opening-closing device further including a fixing plate provided between the supporting member and original pressing plate and on which a roller is installed.
This conventional opening-closing device is adapted to automatically position the original pressing device horizontally in relation to the original supporting table. Therefore, no fine adjustment is required after installation of the original pressing device and opening-closing device. However, a roller for smooth sliding of the hinge foot, roller provided on the original pressing device, etc. have to additionally be provided, so that the original pressing device with the opening-closing device has a complicated structure which will lead to an increased manufacturing cost.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has an object to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art by providing an opening-closing device for an original pressing device, having a simple structure and capable of automatically positioning the opened original pressing device horizontally in relation to the original supporting table.
The above object can be attained by providing an opening-closing device for an original pressing device, having a base member for fixation to the body of an apparatus on which the original pressing device is to be used; a supporting member secured pivotably to the base member with a hinge pin; a lifting member to which the rear portion of the original pressing device fixed directly or with any fixing member to the free end of the supporting member with a supporting pin reversibly in a direction in which the lifting member will overlap the supporting member; and an elastic member provided between the base member and a different position from the pivoted position of the lifting member relative to the supporting member to force the supporting member along with the lifting member in the opening direction of the original pressing device while forcing the lifting member in a direction in which the lifting member will overlap the supporting member; the opening-closing device further including, according to the present invention, means for limiting to a predetermined range the range of the lifting member being reversible about the pivoted position relative to the supporting member; and an adjusting means abutting a part of the base member or the apparatus body when the lifting is closed to reverse the lifting member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the elastic member may be a coil spring provided between the base and lifting members, or between a spring receiver sliding on the cam surface of a cam member installed on the side of the base member and the lifting member.
According to a still another aspect of the present invention, the limiting means may include a pin to hold on the supporting member the cam slider sliding on the cam surface of the cam member, elongated guide holes formed in both side plates of the supporting member and in which the sliding pin is inserted movably at opposite ends thereof, and elongated control holes formed in both side plates of the lifting member and each having an enlarged portion at the beginning end thereof and in which the sliding pin is inserted movably at opposite ends thereof.
According to a yet another aspect of the present invention, the adjusting means may be a rolling member installed on one or both of the side plates of the lifting member.
The above object can also be achieved by providing an opening-closing device for an original pressing device, including a base member for fixation to the body of an apparatus on which the original pressing device is to be used, consisting of a base plate and side plates rising from opposite ends of the base plate; a cam member fixed to the fixing member; a supporting member consisting of a back plate and side plates bent downward from opposite ends of the back plate, the side plates being coupled pivotably to outside the side plates of the base member with a hinge pin; a lifting member to which the original pressing device is fixed, consisting of a back plate and side plates bent downward from opposite ends of the back plate, the back plate being overlapped on the back plate of the supporting member and the side plates being coupled pivotably to the outer free ends of the side plates of the supporting member with a supporting pin; a compression spring provided between a cam slider retained slidably between
Braun Fred L.
Katoh Electrical Machinery Co. Ltd.
Notaro & Michalos P.C.
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