Image forming apparatus including an electronics container designed to permit an overall efficient structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10038800-B2
Application number	US-201615226986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an outer cover, an interior device spaced apart from the outer cover, and an accommodating recess interposed between the outer cover and the interior device. The accommodating recess accommodates an arbitrary part of the image forming apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. The image forming apparatus, comprising:
an outer cover;
an interior cavity, the outer cover surrounding the interior cavity;
a scanner, disposed within the interior cavity, to read an image on an original;
image forming components disposed within the interior cavity, to form the read image on a medium;
a sheet receiver, disposed below the scanner and above the image forming components in a first vertical direction, to receive a sheet including the formed image; and
an electronics container, disposed within the interior cavity, the electronics container being disposed between the sheet receiver and the scanner in the first vertical direction,
the outer cover, including an accommodating recess in at least a portion of the outer cover to accommodate a control panel disposed on an entire span of a front face of the accommodating recess of the outer cover,
wherein the scanner includes a front face to face a user of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the electronics container includes a front face to face the user, and
wherein the front face of the scanner and the front face of the electronics container are spaced apart from the outer cover to define the accommodating recess.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the outer cover includes a front face to face a user of the image forming apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a hinge, disposed in the accommodating recess and pivotably supporting the control panel.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the control panel, when placed in the accommodating recess, defines a clearance into which an object is insertable to pivot the control panel.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shaft, disposed in the accommodating recess, to pivotably support the control panel.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the control panel includes an upper portion to mount the shaft.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control panel includes a front face leveled with the outer cover to define an identical plane.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the-electronics container extends substantially horizontally with respect to the scanner.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an outer cover;
an interior cavity, the outer cover surrounding the interior cavity;
a scanner, disposed within the interior cavity, to read an image on an original;
image forming components disposed within the interior cavity, to form the image on a medium;
an output tray to receive and output the medium including the image, the output tray being disposed below the scanner and above the image forming components in a first vertical direction; and
an electronics container, disposed within the interior cavity and housing at least one processor to control the image forming components, the electronics container being disposed between the output tray and the scanner in the first vertical direction, the scanner and electronics container being relatively shorter than a document feeder, disposed above the scanner, in a second horizontal direction,
the outer cover, including an accommodating recess in at least a portion of the outer cover-to accommodate a control panel of the image forming apparatus.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the outer cover includes a front face to face a user of the image forming apparatus.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a hinge, disposed in the accommodating recess and pivotably supporting the control panel.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the control panel, when placed in the accommodating recess, defines a clearance into which an object is insertable to pivot the control panel.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a shaft, disposed in the accommodating recess, to pivotably support the control panel.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the control panel includes an upper portion to mount the shaft.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the control panel includes a front face leveled with the outer cover to define an identical plane.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a body including a sheet receiver, disposed below the scanner, to receive a sheet,
wherein the electronics container is disposed above the sheet receiver and below the scanner.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the scanner includes a front face to face a user of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the electronics container includes a front face to face the user, and
wherein the front face of the scanner and the front face of the electronics container are spaced apart from the outer cover to define the accommodating recess.

Assignees

• Murakami Hiroaki
• Shima Nobuhiro
• Ohta Yoshihide
• Ishimitsu Hiroki
• Ito Kazuyuki
• Hoshi Katsuhiro
• Nishi Takayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Murakami Hiroaki
• Shima Nobuhiro
• Ohta Yoshihide
• Ishimitsu Hiroki
• Ito Kazuyuki
• Hoshi Katsuhiro
• Nishi Takayuki

Classifications

• H04N1/00551

  Top covers or the like · CPC title

• H04N1/00527

  Discharge tray at least partially sandwiched between image generating and reproducing components · CPC title

• H04N1/00493

  Particular location of the interface or console · CPC title

• G03G21/1609

  for space saving, e.g. structural arrangements · CPC title

• H04N1/04

  Scanning arrangements {, i.e. arrangements for the displacement of active reading or reproducing elements relative to the original or reproducing medium, or vice versa}(H04N1/387 takes precedence) · CPC title