Image forming apparatus that establishes short-range wireless communication between the image forming apparatus and an external device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11221580-B2
Application number	US-202016795671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 4, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a first casing, a second casing, a support portion, an indication, and a USB port. The first casing includes a sheet discharge tray disposed at a top surface thereof. The indication is located at a portion of one of the top surface of the first casing and the support portion, and is positioned outside the sheet discharge tray in a width direction. The portion is located closer to one end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction than the other end of the image forming apparatus opposite to the one end in the width direction. The USB port is disposed at a portion of one of the second casing and the support portion closer to the one end than the other end in the width direction, and is located at a different position in an up-down direction from the indication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first casing housing an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, the first casing including a sheet discharge tray disposed at a top surface thereof, the sheet discharge tray being configured to support the sheet discharged by a discharge roller;
a second casing disposed above the first casing, the second casing housing an image scanner configured to scan an image on a document;
a support portion disposed at the top surface of the first casing such that the support portion raises the second casing, the support portion partially defining an opening that enables an access to the sheet discharged on the sheet discharge tray;
an indication located at a portion of one of the top surface of the first casing and the support portion, the indication positioned outside the sheet discharge tray in a width direction perpendicular to a discharging direction of the sheet by the discharge roller, the indication indicating a location to which an external device is to be brought into proximity to establish short-range wireless communication between the image forming apparatus and the external device;
a USB port disposed at a portion of one of the second casing and the support portion closer to the one end than the other end in the width direction, the USB port being located at a different position in an up-down direction from the indication; and
a control panel configured to enable operations of the image forming apparatus, the control panel being located above the first casing,
wherein the indication and the USB port are located between one end of the image forming apparatus and a center of the image forming apparatus in the width direction, and
wherein the control panel is located between another end of the image forming apparatus, which is opposite to the one end of the image forming apparatus, and the center of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion has an end surface located between an upstream end surface of the second casing and a downstream end surface of the second casing in the discharging direction, and the USB port is disposed at the end surface of the support portion, and
wherein the indication is located at the top surface of the first casing, and the indication is located at downstream of the USB port in the discharging direction.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion includes a third casing configured to be removably attached to the support portion, and
wherein the indication and the USB port are located at different surfaces of the third casing.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the third casing includes an inclined surface, and
wherein the indication is located at the inclined surface.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the USB port is located at the second casing, and
wherein the indication is located at the top surface of the first casing, and the indication is located downstream of the USB port in the discharging direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the USB port is located at a position overlapping with the first casing when viewed from the top.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a power switch located closer to the one end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction than the other end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board that enables the short-range wireless communication, the circuit board facing the indication.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the USB port is located higher than the indication, and the USB port is located upstream of the indication in the discharge direction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the USB port is located lower than the indication, and the USB port is located downstream of the indication in the discharge direction.

11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first casing housing an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, the first casing including a sheet discharge tray disposed at a top surface thereof, the sheet discharge tray being configured to support the sheet discharged by a discharge roller;
a second casing disposed above the first casing, the second casing housing an image scanner configured to scan an image on a document;
a support portion disposed at the top surface of the first casing such that the support portion raises the second casing, the support portion partially defining an opening that enables an access to the sheet discharged on the sheet discharge tray; and
a third casing configured to be removably attached to the image forming apparatus, the third casing positioned outside the sheet discharge tray in a width direction perpendicular to a discharging direction of the sheet by the discharge roller, the third casing including an indication and a USB port that are located at different surfaces of the third casing, the indication indicating a location to which an external device is to be brought into proximity to establish short-range wireless communication between the image forming apparatus and the external device.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the third casing is positioned between the first casing and the second casing in an up-down direction.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the USB port is located at a different position in an up-down direction from the indication.

14. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first casing housing an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, the first casing including a sheet discharge tray disposed at a top surface thereof, the sheet discharge tray being configured to support the sheet discharged by a discharge roller;
a second casing disposed above the first casing, the second casing housing an image scanner configured to scan an image on a document;
a support portion disposed at the top surface of the first casing such that the support portion raises the second casing, the support portion partially defining an opening that enables an access to the sheet discharged on the sheet discharge tray;
an indication located at a portion of one of the top surface of the first casing and the support portion, the indication positioned outside the sheet discharge tray in a width direction perpendicular to a discharging direction of the sheet by the discharge roller, the portion being located closer to one end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction than the other end of the image forming apparatus opposite to the one end in the width direction, the indication indicating a location to which an external device is to be brought into proximity to establish short-range wireless communication between the image forming apparatus and the external device;
a USB port disposed at a portion of one of the second casing and the support portion closer to the one end than the other end in the width direction, the USB port being located at a different position in an up-down direction from the indication; and
a power switch located closer to the one end of the image forming apparatus in the width direction than the other end of the image forming apparatus opposite to the one end in the width direction.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Okamoto Yoshihiro

Classifications

• H04N1/00559

  Mounting or support of components or elements (H04N1/00538 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03G21/1619 Primary

  Frame structures · CPC title

• G03G15/80 Primary

  Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections · CPC title

• G03G15/60 Primary

  Apparatus which relate to the handling of originals (for photographic purposes in general G03B) · CPC title

• G03G15/5066

  by using information from an external support, e.g. magnetic card · CPC title