Foldable stand and image forming apparatus with foldable stand

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11736637-B2
Application number	US-202117522981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2021
Priority date	Jul 7, 2021
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, a base, a holder and a connecting rod. The main body has a bottom surface, a top surface, a lower surface, a paper outlet and a paper inlet. The base has a bottom board being adjacent to the paper outlet, at least one vertical board being connected to the bottom board and being pivoted on the main body, and a first hinge being located at the bottom board. The holder has a beam, at least one support arm being connected to the beam, and a second hinge being located at the beam. The tip portion is higher than the vertical board. The connecting rod has opposite end portions being pivoted on the first hinge and the second hinge respectively. As described above, the occupying area is further reduced in an unused status.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a main body having a bottom surface, a top surface, a lower surface being connected between the bottom surface and the top surface, a paper outlet being formed on the lower surface, a paper inlet being formed on the top surface;
a base having
a bottom board being adjacent to the paper outlet,
at least one vertical board being connected to the bottom board and being pivoted on the main body, and
a first hinge being located at the bottom board;

a holder having
a beam,
at least one support arm being connected to the beam and having a tip portion being pivoted on the main body, the tip portion being higher than the vertical board, and
a second hinge being located at the beam; and

a connecting rod having opposite end portions being pivoted on the first hinge and the second hinge respectively;
wherein, in an unused status, the paper inlet and the paper outlet are aligned with each other along a vertical plane, the paper out let is impeded by the bottom board, the holder is adjacent to the bottom surface of the main body;
wherein, in an used status, the paper inlet and the paper outlet are aligned with each other along an inclined plane, the paper outlet is unimpeded, the holder is rotated to far away from the bottom surface of the main body.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the holder has a left support arm and a right support arm, the beam, the left support arm and the right support arm are integrally formed with each other, each of the left support arm and the right support arm is a inverted L shape, and each of short portions of the left support arm and the right support arm has a hinge hole, the hinging holes are pivoted on two sides of the main body.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base has two vertical boards, the vertical boards are symmetrically located on two sides of a top of the bottom board and are far away from the paper outlet, an extending portion is extended toward the paper outlet from each of tops of the vertical boards, a fixing hole is located on a front end of the extending portion, and the fixing holes are pivoted on two sides of the main body.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the base has two vertical boards, the vertical boards are symmetrically located on two sides of a top of the bottom board and are far away from the paper outlet, an extending portion is extended toward the paper outlet from each of tops of the vertical boards, a fixing hole is located on a front end of the extending portion, and the fixing holes are pivoted on two sides of the main body.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a straightened bottom surface is defined in a middle of the bottom surface of the main body, and a first inclined surface extended from a lower side of the straightened bottom surface is close to the paper outlet, a second inclined surface extended from an upper side of the straightened bottom surface is far away from the paper outlet.

6. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a straightened bottom surface is defined in a middle of the bottom surface of the main body, and a first inclined surface extended from a lower side of the straightened bottom surface is close to the paper outlet, a second inclined surface extended from an upper side of the straightened bottom surface is far away from the paper outlet.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a straightened bottom surface is defined in a middle of the bottom surface of the main body, and a first inclined surface extended from a lower side of the straightened bottom surface is close to the paper outlet, a second inclined surface extended from an upper side of the straightened bottom surface is far away from the paper outlet.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a straightened bottom surface is defined in a middle of the bottom surface of the main body, and a first inclined surface extended from a lower side of the straightened bottom surface is close to the paper outlet, a second inclined surface extended from an upper side of the straightened bottom surface is far away from the paper outlet, the vertical boards are extended into the main body from the first inclined surface, the left support arm and the right support arm are extended into the main body from the straightened bottom surface close to the second inclined surface.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a length of the first inclined surface is longer than a length of the second inclined surface, and a slope angle between the first inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface is smaller than a slope angle between the second inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface.

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a length of the first inclined surface is longer than a length of the second inclined surface, and a slope angle between the first inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface is smaller than a slope angle between the second inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface.

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a length of the first inclined surface is longer than a length of the second inclined surface, and a slope angle between the first inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface is smaller than a slope angle between the second inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface.

12. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a length of the first inclined surface is longer than a length of the second inclined surface, and a slope angle between the first inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface is smaller than a slope angle between the second inclined surface and the straightened bottom surface.

13. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

14. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

15. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

16. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

17. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

18. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

19. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a receiving groove is formed on the straightened bottom surface.

20. An image forming apparatus occupying a area of a supporting plane, comprising:
a main body having
a straightened bottom surface being defined in a bottom surface,
a lower surface,
a first inclined surface being defined in the bottom surface and being connected between the straightened bottom surface and the lower surface, and
a paper outlet being formed on the lower surface;

a base having
a bottom board being adjacent to the paper outlet and being mounted on the supporting plane,
at least one vertical board being connected to the bottom board and being extended into the main body through the first inclined surface to be pivoted on the main body, and
a first hinge being located at the bottom board;

Assignees

• Foxlink Image Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hsieh Wei Pin
• Chen Lung

Classifications

• H04N1/00562 Primary

  Supporting the apparatus as a whole, e.g. stands · CPC title

• B41J29/023

  with reduced dimensions · CPC title

• B41J29/06

  Special supports, platforms or trolleys for supporting machines on tables · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title