Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018124263-A1
Application number	US-201715854842-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 27, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	May 3, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image forming apparatus comprises an image reading portion, and an operation unit having at least a touch panel display is provided in a front side of the image reading portion. A housing of the image reading portion has a housing projection portion that is projected frontward as compared with a front surface of a document pressing cover, and a power key that is a hardware key is provided on an upper surface of the housing projection portion in a back side as compared with the touch panel display and within a range of a breadth of the operation unit. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the power key from being operated carelessly, and it becomes easy to recognize a position of the power key.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an image reading portion; an operation unit that is provided in a front side of the image reading portion, the operation unit having a touch panel display; and at least one of a power key and a power saving key that are hardware keys and provided on a housing of the image reading portion in a back side as compared with the touch panel display.

9 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising a document pressing cover that is openably provided on an upper surface of the image reading portion; and
a housing projection portion that is formed on the housing so as to be projected frontward as compared with a front surface of the document pressing cover, wherein the at least one of the power key and the power saving key are provided on an upper surface of the housing projection portion.

10 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the power key and the power saving key are provided within a range of a breadth of the operation unit.

11 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising at least one of a fax receiving situation indicator and an alarm indicator provided on the housing projection portion.

12 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the upper surface of the housing projection portion is a level surface.

13 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the operation unit has a hardware key, and the at least one of the power key and the power saving key and the hardware key of the operation unit are arranged in line in a front-back direction.

14 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the upper surface of the operation unit is an inclined surface that is inclined front-downwardly with respect to the upper surface of the housing projection portion.

15 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , comprising a level difference that is formed between the upper surface of the housing projection portion and the upper surface of the operation unit, wherein the upper surface of the operation unit is arranged in a position lower than the upper surface of the housing projection portion.

16 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein a front surface of the housing projection portion has a downwardly inclined surface that comes in a back side as it goes downward, and a back end portion of the operation unit comes beneath the inclined surface of the housing projection portion.

17 . The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , comprising a depression portion that is formed on the front surface of the housing projection portion, wherein the back end portion of the operation unit comes beneath the depression portion of the housing projection portion.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Nakamura Yasushi
• Kawata Osamu

Classifications

• H04N1/00411

  the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen · CPC title

• H04N1/00551

  Top covers or the like · CPC title

• H04N1/00888

  Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N1/00384 Primary

  Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads (electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00) · CPC title

• H04N2201/0094

  Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception · CPC title