Lock lever structure, unit, and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10594880-B2
Application number	US-201615369452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A lock lever structure includes a shaft; a cam attached to the shaft to fit a different-shaped portion of the shaft to prevent rotation of the cam in a circumferential direction of the shaft, the different-shaped portion having a different shape in cross section from a round portion of the shaft; a lever having an inner hollow cylindrical portion larger than an outline of the shaft and attached to the shaft to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the shaft; a spring attached to the shaft to press the cam and the lever in an axial direction of the shaft; and a retainer attached to the shaft to retain the spring, the cam, and the lever to the shaft. The cam has at least two valley portions. The lever has a contact portion to contact the cam. The contact portion has a base shape.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lever structure comprising:
a shaft having an exterior cross section shape that includes a round portion and a non-round portion;
a cam attached to the shaft to fit the non-round portion of the shaft to prevent rotation of the cam in a circumferential direction of the shaft;
a lever having an inner hollow cylindrical portion larger than an exterior perimeter of the shaft, the lever attached to the shaft to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the shaft;
a spring attached to the shaft to press the cam and the lever in an axial direction of the shaft; and
a retainer attached to the shaft to retain the spring, the cam, and the lever to the shaft, the cam having at least two valley portions,
the lever having a contact portion to contact the cam.

2. The lever structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least two valley portions of the cam have a clearance portion not contacted by a vertex of the base shape of the lever.

3. The lever structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein contact surfaces of the lever and the cam and contact surfaces of the lever and the shaft are made of material configured to slide.

4. The lever structure according to claim 1 , further comprising lubricant applied to contact surfaces of the lever and the cam and contact surfaces of the lever and the shaft.

5. The lever structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a stopper to interfere with an exterior cover to prevent closing of the exterior cover when the lever is not in a lock position.

6. The lever structure according to claim 5 , wherein the stopper is disposed in a periphery of the cam and the lever.

7. A unit comprising:
the lever structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the unit is detachably attached relative to an image forming apparatus.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:
the unit according to claim 7 ,
wherein the unit is detachable from the image forming apparatus in a replaceable manner.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising the lever structure according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Higuchi Sakie
• Sato Yuki
• Akama Shiro
• Endo Tsuyoshi
• Osawa Tsutomu
• Ueda Yuta
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Higuchi Sakie
• Sato Yuki
• Akama Shiro
• Endo Tsuyoshi
• Osawa Tsutomu
• Ueda Yuta

Classifications

• Y10T292/104

  Rigid operating means · CPC title

• H04N1/00538

  Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components · CPC title

• Y10T292/1077

  Cam · CPC title

• E05B65/006

  for covers or panels (for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00) · CPC title

• Y10T292/1041

  Rigid operating means · CPC title